Landslide in Darjeeling.
Credit: PTI photo
Kolkata: Even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the deaths of people due to landslides and the collapse of bridges after an overnight downpour in the northern districts of West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party criticised the state’s chief minister and the ruling Trinamool Congress supremo, Mamata Banerjee, for not rushing to the affected areas immediately.
“Deeply pained by the loss of lives due to a bridge mishap in Darjeeling. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon,” Modi posted on X on Sunday, as reports of the widespread devastation caused by torrential rain in North Bengal reached New Delhi. “The situation in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas is being closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains and landslides. We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected.”
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to the BJP’s Lok Sabha MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, and enquired about the situation in North Bengal. “Teams of the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) have reached the spot, and more teams are on standby to join them as and when needed,” Shah posed on X. “The BJP karyakartas are also providing necessary assistance to the people in need,” he added.
As Mamata, the chief minister of the state, attended the Durga Puja carnival, a procession of the idols of the goddess before immersion, in Kolkata on Sunday, the BJP state unit chief Samik Bhattacharya criticised her for delaying her visit to North Bengal.
The chief minister is likely to visit the disaster-hit areas in North Bengal on Monday.
“This is not a happy occasion. The chief minister should have stood by the people of North Bengal instead of attending the carnival on Red Road. But only a fool can expect a humanitarian approach from this government. The BJP does not have any such expectation from this government,” Samik Bhattacharya, the state BJP president, said.
The chief minister was also criticised by Suvendu Adhikari, the state BJP heavyweight and the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly. Adhikari accused the TMC government of showing a step-motherly attitude towards North Bengal.
The BJP has been trying to make North Bengal its stronghold over the past few years, and its organisational strength in the region has been growing, compared to the other regions of the state.
The TMC government had introduced the carnival in 2016 to bid a colourful farewell to Goddess Durga and mark the end of the Durga Puja festivities in West Bengal.
Banerjee monitored the relief and rescue operations in North Bengal from the state secretariat from 6 a.m. till early evening, before arriving at the venue of the carnival.
Even as the Durga Puja carnival on the Red Road was going on, the BJP leaders on Sunday participated in a protest march, denouncing the failure of the government, which, they alleged, was exposed by the death of 12 people due to electrocution on September 26, when overnight torrential rain caused waterlogging across Kolkata.
“I appeal to every @AITCofficial volunteer to reach out, support and assist the affected with compassion and commitment. With collective resolve and Maa Durga’s blessings, we will overcome this adversity together,” Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC general secretary, posted on X, asking the ruling party’s workers to help in the relief and rescue operations.