KOLKATA: BJP firebrand Agni Mitra Paul has leveled explosive allegations against Mamata Banerjee’s government over the Anandpur warehouse fire disaster. Labeling her a practitioner of pure vote-bank politics, Paul said Banerjee feels no sorrow for the dead, or the owner would be in jail by now.
Detailed lapses emerged: the site’s momo factory operated sans fire license, a fact affirmed by the Fire DG. Arrests limited to deputy and manager skirt the main offender. ‘Why spare the owner after five days?’ Paul demanded in an interview, slamming the lack of DNA testing amid mounting deaths.
He exposed an alleged nexus where illicit businesses pay TMC hefty sums for impunity, routed through IPAC. Meager 10-lakh payouts mock the grief of bereaved families. Paul’s tirade extended to Banerjee’s statewide polarization tactics, foretelling electoral retribution.
Referencing TMC drop-out Humayun Kabir and CPI(M)’s Mohammad Salim, Paul called them Banerjee’s ideological twins, puppets in her Muslim vote strategy. Once a critic of Left-era Bangladeshi vote-rigging, Banerjee now embraces it for her rule. This fire saga spotlights systemic rot, fueling BJP’s offensive.