The explosion at the illegal firecracker unit in West Bengal’s Egra on Tuesday has offered the BJP-led Opposition a fresh opportunity to question the alertness of the state machinery, steered by the ruling Trinamool Congress.
Two political representations from the Trinamool and the BJP, on Wednesday, visited the region.
BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari met family members of those who died in the explosion. Adhikari said that he has moved the Calcutta High Court to request an NIA probe into the incident.
The compensation of Rs 2.5 lakh announced by the state yesterday, he said, was not adequate, and should be raised to Rs 10 lakh. “Don’t collect the cheque from the MLA office or the Trinamool’s office,” he said, asking the people concerned to take it from the local panchayat or the BDO office.
He further demanded that the site's material be examined by the central forensic lab, adding that given the series of incidents, the “police mantri” (Mamata Banerjee, who also has the charge of state’s home department) has no right to hold the chair.
In a lengthy post on Twitter, Adhikari countered the chief minister’s points, which she had put before the media on Tuesday, as weird “theories”.
Adhikari questioned whether Odisha (CM and police) should be blamed as the place is located near the state’s border.
Meanwhile, the BJP is planning to hold a rally with around 25,000 supporters in the region on Friday.
Published 17 May 2023, 18:17 IST