In a fervent appeal to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called for the protection of democracy and urged that investigative agencies be prevented from defaming citizens. Speaking at a program inaugurating a building of the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court, Banerjee emphasized the need to safeguard the Constitution, judiciary, and the rights of the people against being wrongly targeted.

Banerjee voiced her concerns amidst a backdrop of heightened political tensions between her government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, particularly regarding the alleged misuse of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to target opposition parties. She has repeatedly accused the Centre of weaponizing investigative agencies to intimidate opposition parties, an allegation the BJP has denied.

Banerjee highlighted the importance of the Constitution, the citizens, the judiciary, and the media as the key pillars of the nation, emphasizing that these institutions should remain untainted. She implored the judiciary to act as a bulwark against any erosion of constitutional values. She requested that the CJI and all judges ensure the Constitution is protected from disaster and that the country's safety, security, history, geography, and boundaries are safeguarded. Further, she appealed to the judiciary to protect the people from being wrongly targeted by agencies.

Banerjee also addressed the media, urging them to avoid "media trials" that malign individuals before cases are finalized. She said that there is a trend of media trials before disposal of cases, and this must stop. She argued that investigative agencies were making deliberate attempts to defame people.

Banerjee's appeal comes in the wake of recent events, including ED raids on premises linked to political consultancy I-PAC, which manages the Trinamool Congress's election campaigns. The ED has alleged obstruction by Banerjee and has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe into the matter, claiming that she interfered with their search operations and removed evidence. The Supreme Court has acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations, noting concerns about the rule of law and the independence of central investigative agencies.

Banerjee has countered these allegations, accusing the ED of acting as a political tool of the BJP to steal her party's internal strategy. She asserted that she intervened at the raid site in her capacity as the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress, not as the Chief Minister.

Despite these challenges, Banerjee emphasized her government's commitment to the judicial system, noting that West Bengal continues to run 88 fast-track courts, including those focused on cases involving women and children, even after the central government stopped funding.