Key Points

BJP MLA Ram Kadam hit out strongly, saying, "From the very beginning, Mamata Banerjee's statements have reflected frustration. If the Prime Minister expresses concern during a disaster, does even that upset her? He is the Prime Minister of India. If a disaster strikes any part of the country and lives are being lost, a situation where assistance is needed at the highest level, does she expect a tweet from the Prime Minister of Pakistan instead?"

Echoing similar sentiments, BJP leader and MP Arjun Singh said Banerjee’s criticism showed a loss of composure: "The Prime Minister had posted that there is no law and order in Bengal. Mamata Banerjee has lost her mind, that’s why she is saying all this."

Dilip Ghosh, senior BJP leader and former state president, questioned Banerjee’s absence from the ground: "What is Mamata Banerjee doing? Instead of focusing on governance, why is she in Kolkata? Why hasn't she visited the flood-hit areas? People of North Bengal repeatedly say they are being neglected. The government spends money counting losses and demanding funds from the Centre, but shows no sensitivity. They enjoy carnivals and festivities in Kolkata while ignoring the suffering in North Bengal."

The remarks came in response to a detailed statement posted by Mamata Banerjee on the social media platform 'X', where she expressed concern over the Prime Minister’s remarks and alleged that he had chosen to politicise a natural disaster without waiting for an official investigation.

In her statement, Banerjee wrote: "It is deeply unfortunate and a matter of profound concern that the Prime Minister of India has chosen to politicise a natural disaster without waiting for any proper investigation -- and that too at a time when the people of North Bengal are grappling with devastating floods and landslides."

She further alleged that while the state administration and police were engaged in relief and rescue operations, BJP leaders decided to enter affected areas with large convoys and central force protection, all without informing local authorities.

“The Prime Minister has blamed the Trinamool Congress and the West Bengal government without a shred of evidence, without any legal investigation, and without any administrative report. This not only touches political pettiness but also violates the constitutional morality that the Prime Minister swore to uphold. In any democracy, the law takes its own course, and responsibility for an incident is determined through due process – not through a tweet made from the heights of a political pulpit,” she added.

- IANS