Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her conduct during Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches at the premises of political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata, describing it as unbecoming of a person holding the office of chief minister.

Speaking to reporters in Guwahati, Sarma said Banerjee’s actions could lead to a loss of public respect. He was referring to the scenes that unfolded on Thursday when Banerjee arrived at the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain and the firm’s office during the ED raids.

“The way Mamata Banerjee entered the sites, took away files and spoke against the home minister, I think people will lose respect for her completely,” Sarma said. He described the incident as “sad” and remarked that it was “too much” for a sitting chief minister to allegedly “hijack files.”

The ED conducted the searches as part of an investigation into an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam. The agency has claimed that Banerjee and the West Bengal Police obstructed the operation and forcibly removed what it described as key evidence.

During the raid, Banerjee accused the central agency of attempting to seize sensitive data related to the Trinamool Congress ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.