By Hanika Kashyap
A heavy storm-like overnight downpour left much of Kolkata flooded, showing daily life and killing at least seven people from electrocution, leading to a heated exchange between West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP.
Heavy late-night rains left parts of Kolkata knee-deep in water, causing huge traffic jams and disrupting rail and flight services. Calling it an unusual downpour, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee moved the government school Durga Puja holidays up by two days.
The BJP took to social media to blame the TMC-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation for the floods during Durga Puja, pointing to corruption and poor civic management. The TMC hit back, saying the opposition used people’s hardships to fuel negativity. The Bengal BJP also highlighted waterlogged Puja pandals, sharing videos of inundated areas like Maniktala.
The BJP went on to allege that decades of misrule, first under the CPI(M) and later under the TMC’s leadership in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, have left Bengalis facing hardships even during Durga Puja.
State Finance Minister Chandrima Bhattarcharya said that the flooding was caused by a rare cloudburst that dumped nearly 300mm of rain in a few hours, something no city could handle. She said that the BJP is ignoring science and using the disaster for politics. However, he also asserted that people of Bengal can easily see through it. They can tell the difference between a natural disaster and political propaganda. She added that the BJP’s attempts to spread negativity during Durga Puja won’t succeed.
Women and Child Development Minister Sashi Panja also called out the BJP. She said that they are using the rain-related deaths for political gain. The minister also said that the party did not do anything about a similar kind of flooding in Gurgaon, but is unfairly attacking the Bengal government.