Darjeeling (West Bengal) [India], January 9 (ANI): After MPs of the Trinamool Congress staged a protest outside the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, West Bengal BJP President and MP Samik Bhattacharya said that people of the state have 'understood ' the ruling party and their leaders have set themselves to become a laughing stock by participating in protests against corruption.

'The TMC leaders cannot stage a protest in front of the people of West Bengal, the public has understood TMC...The public will laugh if the leaders of TMC protest against corruption...A Chief Minister is snatching files while the ED is carrying out the investigation, and a raid was not conducted at a political office...TMC leaders are involved in the coal scam...TMC and corruption are synonymous,' Bhattacharya said.

These remarks come after several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were detained in the national capital for protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raid on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, alleging misuse of the probe agency by the centre.

TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and others protested outside Amit Shah's office in Delhi, raising slogans against the minister.

As this happened, the Delhi police detained Derek O'Brien, Mahua Moitra, and others, lifting them up and dragging them to the police van.

Derek O Brien, as he was dragged to the floor by police personnel, said, 'You are seeing what is happening to the MPs here'

Mahua Moitra, who the police lifted from the protest spot, said, 'We will defeat the BJP. The country is seeing how the Delhi Police is treating an elected MP.'

Protesting against the ED raid, TMC MP Satabdi Roy said that the centre sends its investigative agencies during elections to win.

'They sent the team of ED yesterday, and they remember everything during the time of elections. They send the teams of ED, CBI during the elections just to win, but they won't win the election,' he added.

TMC MP Kirti Azad said, 'ED conducted the raids in the wrong way, and this is an attempt to win the elections in an undemocratic manner. The BJP will not win the elections in this manner.'

This comes after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee allegedly interfered during an ED raid at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC in connection with the coal smuggling case. (ANI)