West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched a blistering assault on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “politicising a pure catastrophe” and “breaching the constitutional ethos”, after he criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) authorities over the assault on two BJP leaders within the northern a part of the state.
BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Sankar Ghosh have been injured in an assault by a mob throughout their go to to the flood and landslide-hit Dooars area within the north Bengal.
Responding to the prime minister’s publish on X, the place he mentioned the incident highlighted the “completely pathetic” regulation and order scenario in West Bengal, Banerjee issued an in depth assertion on the platform, urging Modi to behave because the “prime minister of India, not of the BJP”.
“It’s unlucky and deeply regarding that the prime minister of India has chosen to politicise a pure catastrophe with out ready for a correct investigation, particularly whereas folks in north Bengal are grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods and landslides,” Banerjee wrote.
She alleged that whereas the administration and police have been engaged in aid and rescue work, BJP leaders had “chosen to go to the affected areas with a big convoy of automobiles and underneath safety cowl of the central forces,” and that too “with none data to native police and administration.”
“How can the state administration, native police or the TMC be blamed for the incident?” the chief minister requested.
Taking robust exception to the prime minister’s remarks, Banerjee mentioned, “The PM has blamed the TMC and the West Bengal authorities outright with out a shred of verified proof, authorized inquiry, or administrative report. This isn’t only a political low; it’s a breach of the constitutional ethos the PM has sworn to uphold. In any democracy, the regulation should take its personal course, and solely due course of can decide culpability — not a tweet from a political pulpit.”
“The incident occurred in a constituency the place the folks themselves have elected a BJP MLA. But the prime minister sees no contradiction in portray the incident as a mirrored image of TMC’s so-called ‘strongmanship’. Such sweeping, unsubstantiated generalisations usually are not solely immature, but additionally unbecoming of the best workplace within the land,” she mentioned.
Coming from a first-rate minister who visited Manipur solely 964 days after it was engulfed in ethnic violence, the sudden concern for West Bengal seems much less like empathy and extra like opportunistic political theatre, she mentioned.
Banerjee asserted that whereas violence should be condemned, “this isn’t the time for partisan chest-thumping. It is a time to assist and heal”.
Accusing the BJP of attempting to stoke divisions, she mentioned, “It is also evident that BJP is resorting to the drained north Bengal vs south Bengal narrative, hoping to polarise folks forward of elections. Allow us to be clear: Bengal is one — emotionally, culturally, and politically.”
In a direct attraction to Modi, she added, “I urge the prime minister: take heed to the elected state authorities, not simply your get together colleagues. You’re the prime minister of India, not simply of BJP. Your accountability lies in nation-building, not narrative-building.”
She mentioned her authorities’s precedence was rescue and rehabilitation, not political blame video games.
“At this essential hour, allow us to not deepen divides. Allow us to stand united past get together strains, to serve the individuals who want us essentially the most. It is a time to assist and heal. Let’s depart politics for one more day,” she concluded.
Earlier within the day, Modi had posted on X condemning the assault on Murmu and Ghosh in Jalpaiguri district, calling it completely pathetic and reflective of the TMC authorities’s collapse of regulation and order.
He mentioned, “The style by which our get together colleagues, together with a sitting MP and MLA, have been attacked in West Bengal for serving the folks affected by floods and landslides is outright appalling. It highlights the insensitivity of the TMC in addition to the completely pathetic regulation and order scenario within the state.”
“I name upon BJP Karyakartas to proceed working among the many folks and help the continued rescue operations,” he added.
Murmu and Ghosh have been attacked by a mob whereas visiting Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri, one of many areas worst affected by latest floods and landslides which have claimed not less than 30 lives throughout north Bengal.
