Mamata Banerjee on Thursday indicated her intent to launch a political battle against what she calls manmade floods, mounting a scathing offensive on the BJP-led Centre over Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) activities, prompting the Opposition to see it as a ploy to divert attention from the raging fire of the RG Kar issue.
On the second consecutive day of visiting flood-affected areas of south Bengal, the chief minister dropped broad hints that her party would soon launch a mass movement on flooding.
“The DVC is controlled by the Centre…. What I have seen so far, I am extremely shocked. There is definite negligence from the Centre’s end,” said a visibly outraged Mamata during a visit to Panskura.
“They used to release 75,000 to one lakh cusecs of water. This year they have released four lakh cusec of water; Tenughat and Panchet dams have released another 1.5 lakh cusecs of water… a total of 5.5 lakh cusecs,” she added later, at Udaynarayanpur. “I will make sure we severe all ties with the DVC. This will be my first job after I return.”
Sources in Trinamool Congress also admitted to the Mamata’s eagerness to optimally utilise the political opportunity from the flooding, and said she was trying to determine the next course of action by the ruling dispensation.
Mamata, her party, and her government have been under tremendous — some might say unprecedented in the 13-year stint in power — pressure since the alleged mishandling of the grisly rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital last month.
All Opposition parties slammed Mamata, alleging that she was using the floods as diversionary tactics.
The BJP accused her government of being an “utter failure” in flood management.
“Every year, the chief minister visits the flood-affected areas and calls it a manmade disaster. Instead of these visits, if she focused on repairing embankments and dredging rivers during the dry season, the people wouldn’t have to suffer,” said BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar, who was in Panskura on Thursday distributing relief materials.
The BJP’s leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused Mamata of turning these visits into “photo sessions” that inconvenience victims.
Bengal BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya said she wanted to rake up the floods to divert attention from the burning RG Kar issue.
The CPM held both the central and state governments responsible for the floods.
CPM state secretary Md Salim said: “Every time there is a flood, the chief minister blames someone else.”
“Why hasn’t she raised the issue with the central government, to get them to do what needs to be done?” he asked. “She is the chief minister, and she must take responsibility.”
A CPM leader added: "Even though the CM is trying to shift focus, people's anger against her government was visible at many places during her visit."
The Congress’s chief spokesperson for Bengal, Soumya Aich Roy, said this has become a vicious cycle for the state.
“She has been in power for 13 years, yet there is no contingency plan. Now, there will be politics over relief and rehabilitation…. Complete chaos and mismanagement,” he added.
