Bengal on Friday logged 223 Covid-19 recoveries, 216 new infections and three deaths, none from the city. Active cases, which were 37,190 on Dashami (October 26), has fallen to 3,343 on February 26, improving by over 91 per cent in four months — an unbroken 123 days. Bengal’s recovery rate is now 97.63 per cent. The national rate is 97.13 now

Message unmasked

Central paramilitary personnel deployed in North Dinajpur ahead of Bengal elections on Friday wore masks other than the “Joy Bangla” ones that had created political ripples on Thursday.

“Joy Bangla” is a popular slogan used by Trinamul leaders, including party supremo Mamata Banerjee. Masks emblazoned with the message, given by district police from their stocks to central paramilitary forces, had raised the hackles of the BJP. Trinamul is using the paramilitary forces for its poll campaign, the saffron camp had said.

Though Trinamul had said that the BJP’s objection to the mask was a “non-issue”, and that anyone who loves the state can wear the mask, paramilitary personnel wore different masks on Friday’s route march in Raiganj subdivision.

Many paramilitary personnel were seen wearing blue surgical masks or masks in other colours. A few had covered their faces with the bandana they wear with their uniform.

“It is good that the central paramilitary forces changed the masks. We voiced our protests on Thursday as the administration had given them masks with the state ruling party’s slogan,” said Biswajit Lahiri, the BJP district president.

He alleged that it was Trinamul’s strategy to provide such masks to the paramilitary forces through the district police. “It was cheap politics that did not work out,” Lahiri added.

A Trinamul leader wondered whether the BJP did not have any real issue to talk about.

An officer of Hemtabad police station, North Dinajpur, said central paramilitary personnel did not ask for any mask from the police. “It seems they arranged masks for themselves,” he said.
Reporting by Kousik Sen