West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday said that leaders of some political parties were using the difficult situation now for political gain. Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Banerjee said that “this is no time for politics.”
“It feels terrible that some people are saying ‘oust Mamata Banerjee from Bengal’. Is this the time for politics? I have not said ‘oust Narendra Modi from the country. There is an appropriate time for everything,” she said at a programme in Kolkata during the day.
She advised these politicians “to go and work among the people right now” – to help dig ponds, plant trees”. “You were hiding in the house for so many months out of fear (from COVID-19). We have worked every day all these months – in hospitals, on the streets, in markets…” she said.
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Banerjee also attacked the Centre yet again, saying lakhs of migrant workers had been dumped in trains without food and water. “Many have reached Bengal in ill health, many have died on the way,” she said. Banerjee said that the Bengal government had spent Rs 200 crore on migrant workers – for train and bus fare, and paid Rs 1,000 to some families as immediate relief, among other things.
“Many people are talking a lot about migrant workers, but have not paid anything on them. We have paid for their train fare, bus fare, and we are still coordinating to bring in those who wish to return. Another 1.5 lakh people will be returning,” she said.
“We have taken up the situation as a challenge. We are taking them in with love as they are in difficult situations. But when they were outside, they did not get food, treatment. Many have come from Mumbai, Chennai, Gujarat, Indore, Delhi, and many are coming in poor health,” she said.
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The CM said that coming in of so many people at the same time had increased the number of COVID-19 cases in West Bengal which was under control for some time. “Right now, trains are open, flights have been started. It is not in our control, but we have handled it well,” she said.
