Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking in the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday, blasted the central government and the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government for alleged mismanagement during the Maha Kumbh Mela, which is now taking place in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stated, “Maha Kumbh has turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh’”.
She added, while attacking the CM Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, “I respect Maha Kumbh, I respect holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning….How many people have been recovered?…..For the rich, the VIP, there are systems available to get camps [tents] for as high as Rs 1 lakh. For the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh….Stampede situation is common in a ‘mela’ but it is important to make arrangements. What planning did you make?”
CM Mamta Banerjee recently challenged the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) to substantiate claims that she had ties to Bangladeshi Islamists, saying that she would step down if the party could.
Mamta Banerjee stated that she will approach Prime Minister Narendra Modi with her grievances on “his MLAs” who have accused her of “collaborating with Bangladeshi fundamentalists”.
Speaking in the Bengal legislature, CM Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of exploiting religion for political ends, saying that “freedom of speech doesn’t allow BJP MLAs to spread hatred and divide people”.
On Saturday, West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, accused CM Mamta Banerjee of being responsible for the high-level of anti-national activity in several parts of the state.
News agency ANI quoted Adhikari telling reporters, “There are some areas in Bengal where anti-national activities are high”.
He added, “In the last 2-3 months, many Bangladeshis, Rohingyas and extremists have been arrested by Assam Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police. There are 50-55 assembly constituencies and 30-35 police stations where the demography has changed… Mamata Banerjee is directly responsible for this. She has failed as a police minister (Home Minister) in Bengal”.
Mamata Banerjee has been the focus of attacks from the state’s BJP leaders, who claim that her government has allowed Rohingya and illegal Bangladeshi migrants to settle in the state.
This accusation was made by several BJP figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the state’s 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
In a demonstration against the Mamata Banerjee government’s alleged appeasement tactics, BJP lawmakers led by Suvendu Adhikari conducted a sit-in on the West Bengal Assembly’s grounds on Tuesday.
About 30 BJP lawmakers squatted on the stairs leading to the Assembly hall’s main entrance while yelling slogans like “Murti bhangar sarkar aar nei darkar” (We don’t want a government that cannot halt damage of Puja pandals).
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