The BJP on Tuesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should address the reason behind the flooding of vast parts of the State rather than writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top Central officials and the neighbouring Jharkhand government.
BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh told a press meet in Kolkata that the flood situation in vast stretches of East and West Midnapore districts, Hooghly and Howrah has worsened over the years due to the inaction of the Trinamool Congress in the past 10 years and the Left Front government previous to it.
“What did Mamata Banerjee do other than blaming the Centre for the floods? Where did the crores of Rupees sent by the Centre and international funding agencies to undertake dredging of canals go? There is poor maintenance by the State Irrigation Department.”
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“She only undertakes aerial survey, blames DVC and Centre and writes letters to the PM. Her officials write to their Central counterparts, to Jharkhand government. What can the Jharkhand government do in this matter? She should address the reasons for the floods in Bengal,” Mr. Ghosh commented.
Ms. Banerjee has accused DVC of releasing excess water from its barrages after the heavy rains last week without information during the night. The water discharged by DVC had claimed lives and affected lakhs of people, she said and demanded dredging of the barrages and dams of the Jharkhand government. Mr. Ghosh in turn accused Ms. Banerjee of taking steps such as writing to the Prime Minister and Jharkhnd government only to divert attention from her failures to tackle the annual flooding.
Mr. Ghosh said he was not opposed to the TMC rushing its delegations to other parts of country after an incident of political importance, “But they [TMC] should remember how they prevent Opposition leaders such as those from the BJP when they head to any place which have witnessed brutal attacks by the Trinamool Congress goons. We are not allowed to meet the affected families and Section 144 Cr PC is promulgated to prevent us.” To a question, Mr. Ghosh said he was personally not in favour of a political party organising Durga Puja. “I have no issue if some of us in the party are behind any Durg Puja on their own”.
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BJP had organised its first Durga Puja in the city in 2020.