Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata, Oct 6 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of politicizing the natural disaster following massive rainfall and landslides in North Bengal over the past few days.
“It is unfortunate and deeply concerning that the Prime Minister of India has chosen to politicize 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. Can the state administration, the local police or the TMC be blamed for the incident? And that too without any input to the local police and administration? Can the state administration, local police or 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 MLA that took place earlier in the day.
The Chief Minister further said that the Prime Minister chose to blame the Trinamool Congress and the West Bengal government outright without any verified evidence, legal investigation or administrative report.
“This is not just a political low, it is a violation of the constitutional ethos that the Prime Minister has sworn to uphold. In any democracy, the law must take its course, and only due process can determine culpability – not a tweet from a political pulpit,” the Chief Minister said.
According to him, although the incident took place in a constituency where people themselves elected a BJP MLA in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Prime Minister saw no contradiction in portraying the incident as a reflection of TMC’s so-called “strong skills”.
“Such sweeping, unconvincing generalizations are not only immature, but also, they are disrespectful to the highest office in the land,” the chief minister said.
Coming from a Prime Minister who visited Manipur only 964 days after it was engulfed in caste violence, the sudden concern for Bengal appears less like sympathy and more like opportunistic political theatre, he said.
“Yes, we all condemn violence, unequivocally. But this is not the time for partisan chest-thumping. This is the time to help and heal,” Mamata Banerjee further said.
He also accused the BJP of trying to create a North Bengal versus South Bengal narrative with the sole intention of polarizing people ahead of 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 the BJP. Your responsibility lies in nation-building, not narrative-building. In this crucial hour, let us not unite to serve those who need it another day.
,
src/and