Kolkata, Oct 6 (IANS) As North Bengal reels under heavy rains and landslides that have claimed at least 23 lives, BJP’s IT cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, on Monday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that “death and destruction mean nothing” to her.

Malviya was referring to the mega annual state government-organised Durga Puja carnival in Kolkata on Sunday evening, which was attended by the Chief Minister. A video of the event went viral, in which the Chief Minister, accompanied by Bengali cine-stars, was seen shaking her legs to the tune played on the occasion.

“Let this be remembered. When 28 people died and thousands faced death and destruction from Dooars to Darjeeling, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was dancing in Kolkata — celebrating at a tax-funded carnival while her state mourned,” Malviya said in a social media post made on Monday morning.

Although Malviya quoted the death figure at 28, the official data compiled by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administrations in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri placed the number of fatalities at 23 till Monday morning.

However, the administrative officials apprehend that the actual death toll may be more, as rescue and recovery operations will be carried out during the course of the day.

In his statement, Malviya said that the Chief Minister was equally remorseless when 12 people died in and around Kolkata last month after they came in touch with live electricity wire submerged in the rainwater accumulated at different pockets, which was evident from her busy schedule inaugurating Durga Puja pandals then.

“She was equally remorseless when 12 people were electrocuted during Durga Puja this year. Even then, she went about inaugurating pandals as if nothing had happened. For Mamata Banerjee, death and destruction mean nothing,” Malviya said.

Justifying his argument, Malviya had quite a popular literary proverb in Bengali — Karo poush mash, karo sarbanash (while some celebrate, others mourn), and said that the proverb suits Mamata Banerjee’s motto.

–IANS

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