Kolkata stampede: Mamata faction alleges Durga Puja pandal panel has ‘links’ to CM's nephew, BJP hits back
The allegations came even as seven people were arrested.
The Opposition, namely the Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC), criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal for the deadly stampede at a Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata. They alleged that the organisers of the pandal, most of whom are associated with the ruling party, are trying to protect themselves.
The MAITC specifically targeted the puja committee, Chore Bagan Sarbojanin Durgatsav Samity, claiming it has connections to Adhikari’s nephew, Debdeep Adhikari. They demanded to know when he would be arrested.
Meanwhile, seven individuals were arrested, and the chief minister, Suvendu Adhikari, announced the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe the incident. The team is headed by a sitting judge from the Calcutta High Court.
The MAITC spokesperson and Kolkata MLA, Kunal Ghosh, alleged that the administration had failed to prevent the stampede and called for the organisers to accept responsibility. He accused the chief minister's statement of being incomplete, evasive, misleading, and an attempt to divert attention. He demanded immediate arrests of the committee's officials, removal of the municipal corporation and OSD, and an impartial investigation.
Ghosh alleged that the committee is filled with BJP members and being shielded. He pointed out that it hadn't rained for the first time on the day of the incident, and blaming just the rain is an attempt to cover up administrative failure.
The stampede took place around 7:30 PM on Saturday at Chor Bagan, one of Kolkata's most popular Durga Puja venues. The crowd was navigating a narrow bylane on Saptami, the seventh day of the festival, while rain was lashing the city, making the streets slippery. Ghosh posted a purported letter from the old committee's general secretary, Jayanta Banerjee, on X, alleging that the previous committee members were forced to resign after the BJP came to power in May. The letter named seven members of the old committee who stepped down.
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