Mamata Banerjee on Friday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence during his election rally in Cooch Behar on Thursday on the storm that had caused large-scale damage in three north Bengal districts on Sunday.

“Four people died and hundreds became homeless because of the natural disaster. The Prime Minister came here (Cooch Behar) yesterday (Thursday) and yet, he didn’t speak a word about the disaster. It seems he forgot about the natural calamity which has hit the region,” the chief minister told an election rally at Tufanganj in Cooch Behar district.

The Trinamul Congress chairperson then explained in detail how she had managed to reach the affected areas on Sunday night, within seven hours of the disaster, and stayed put there till Monday morning.

“I asked my party leaders and workers to stay on the ground and I myself visited the hospital and met the members of the deceased families, went to affected villages and met people in the relief camp till Monday early morning,” she said.

Mamata's speech showed that she was trying to drive home the narrative that while the Centre and the BJP leadership were apathetic to the plight of the people of Bengal, she did everything to stand by the affected persons.

Since Monday, Trinamul has been emphasising that the chief minister and the rank and file of the party in the districts of Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar had been on ground zero to help the affected people.

On Friday, Mamata also said the Election Commission should give permission to rebuild houses in the affected areas.

“The Election Commission should give permission and shouldn’t wait for the BJP and the polling to end. My party and I will not pay the money…. It is the state administration that has readied the funds to build 5,000 houses for the homeless. They simply need the permission to go ahead and help these people,” said Mamata.

The Jalpaiguri district administration on Friday started the construction of two houses at Sukantanagar, on the outskirts of the town, for three children and an elderly woman.

The chief minister also trained guns at the Centre for holding funds under the rural housing scheme for which the state had cleared 11 lakh names.

“The affected people had their names on the list of beneficiaries. If the Centre had provided funds, the damage would have been much less,” she said.

Mamata referred to the Prime Minister's silence on the storm while she addressed another public meeting in Jalpaiguri.

She criticised Modi's remarks on Sandeshkhali. The Prime Minister had said on Thursday that the Trinamul government had tried to shield those accused of atrocities in Sandeshkhali.

“He was referring to Sandeshkhali… let us make it clear that we have taken steps against those involved in it. We have arrested Arabul (Islam of Bhangar) and (Sheikh) Shahjahan (of Sandeshkhali). How many people have you arrested who were involved in killing women and torturing them in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat (both BJP-ruled states)?” asked Mamata.

Violence fear

Mamata Banerjee also expressed her apprehension that the BJP would try to foment tension in the state during the first phase of elections on April 19.

“They have fixed the first phase of the election on April 19. Do you know why they have fixed the date? They want to perpetrate communal violence on Ram Navami which is on April 19. I don’t have any disrespect for Ram but I want to tell them that don’t try to indulge in such violence for votes. We will not tolerate it and will take stern steps against anybody trying to perpetrate such violence,” she said in Cooch Behar.

In Jalpaiguri, where she spoke later, Mamata accused the BJP of perpetrating violence during Ram Navami last year.

“They started the violence and then engaged the NIA for the probe. We have proof that their leader has recently held a meeting with an official of the NIA,” said Mamata.

Additional reporting by our Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri correspondents