Kolkata, Sep 24 (IANS) After Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to electrocution on Tuesday, BJP’s IT Cell Chief and the party’s special observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya indirectly accused the Chief Minister of considering the religious factor in deciding over the amount of compensation.

In a social media post on Wednesday, the BJP leader pointed out that the compensation amount of just Rs 2 lakh for the families of electrocution death victims was too meagre compared to the announcement by the Chief Minister 10 years back for Rs 10 lakh compensation for victims of the Mecca stampede from West Bengal.

“2015: Mamata Banerjee announced Rs 10 lakh compensation for victims of the Mecca stampede from West Bengal. 2025: The same Mamata Banerjee announces just Rs 2 lakh compensation for those who died of electrocution in Kolkata — deaths caused by her government’s negligence during Durga Puja. This is how little value she attaches to the lives of people in Bengal,” the brief social media statement issued by Malviya on Wednesday evening read.

In another social media post, Malviya ridiculed the Chief Minister for being in a jovial festive mood while inaugurating a community Durga Puja Pandal in South Kolkata earlier in the day, which is just a day after the electrocution deaths of 10 persons in West Bengal, including eight in Kolkata, on Tuesday.

Malviya also posted a video where the Chief Minister was seen joining a group of “Garba” dancers participating in the inauguration of the community Durga Puja pandal at Chakraberia in South Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon.

“Not even 24 hours since Kolkata was drowning and 11 people were electrocuted to death, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee found it appropriate to indulge in revelry and play dandiya during a Durga Puja inauguration in Bhawanipur’s Chakraberia. How insensitive can one be? Mamata Banerjee is the very epitome of it,” he wrote.

–IANS

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