PM Modi politicising North Bengal's natural disaster: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, Oct 6 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of politicising the natural disaster in North Bengal following massive rainfall and landslides there during the last couple of days.

“It is unfortunate and deeply concerning that the Prime Minister of India has chosen to politicise a natural disaster without waiting for a proper investigation, especially while people in North Bengal are grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods and landslides. When the entire local administration and police are engrossed in relief and rescue operations, the BJP leaders chose to go to the affected areas with a large convoy of cars and under the security cover of the central forces and that too without any information to the local police and administration. How can the state administration, local police or the TMC be blamed for the incident?” the Chief Minister said.

Earlier, PM Modi attacked the state government over the attack on a BJP Lok Sabha member and a party legislator, which took place earlier in the day.

The Chief Minister further added that the Prime Minister chose to blame the Trinamool Congress and the West Bengal government outright without any verified evidence, legal inquiry, or administrative report.

“This is not just a political low, it is a breach of the constitutional ethos the Prime Minister has sworn to uphold. In any democracy, the law must take its own course, and only due process can determine culpability - not a tweet from a political pulpit,” the Chief Minister said.

According to her, although the incident occurred in a constituency where the people themselves elected a BJP legislator in the 2021 West Bengal assembly polls, the Prime Minister saw no contradiction in painting the incident as a reflection of TMC’s so-called “strongmanship.”

“Such sweeping, unsubstantiated generalisations are not only immature, but also, they are unbecoming of the highest office in the land,” the Chief Minister added.

She said that coming from a Prime Minister who visited Manipur only 964 days after it was engulfed in ethnic violence, the sudden concern for Bengal appears less like empathy and more like opportunistic political theatre.

“Yes, we all condemn violence, unequivocally. But this is not the time for partisan chest-thumping. This is a time to help and heal,” Mamata Banerjee further said.

She also accused BJP of trying to create a North Bengal versus South Bengal narrative with the sole intention of polarising people before the Assembly elections next year.

“I urge the Prime Minister: Listen to the elected state government, not just your party colleagues. You are the Prime Minister of India, not just of BJP. Your responsibility lies in nation-building, not narrative-building. At this critical hour, let us not deepen divides. Let us stand united beyond party lines to serve the people who need us the most. Let’s leave politics for another day,” the Chief Minister added.

--IANS

src/dan