Agnimitra Paul, West Bengal’s Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister, has slammed Opposition parties, accusing them of politicising a video in which she is seen reprimanding a woman for boiling milk on a pavement at Kolkata’s Mirza Ghalib Street.
In a video statement, Paul questioned why no one from the Opposition came forward to help the family. “Yesterday, I heard the Opposition say a lot about the woman heating milk for her child. But no one has come forward with a bowl of milk for the child and the family. They were too busy politicising the matter. But what else to expect,” she said.
Paul stated that the Congress, Left and the Trinamool Congress cheated the people of Bengal when they were in power in the state. “Those who were in power for 28 years of Congress rule, 34 years of CPM (rule) and 15 years of Trinamool Congress, those who have only taken advantage of people and cheated them… in 15 years, the humanity that the Trinamool showed the people… I have nothing to say.”
“Those who have taken money and allowed hawkers to sit on the footpath and finished the entire state and city, there is no section where there is no corruption today. We do not need to learn humanity from them at least,” Paul said.
According to Paul, Mirza Ghalib Street, earlier known as Free School Street, is a busy road. On Saturday, she saw a six-month-old crawling on the pavement, and the mother and the grandmother stood at a distance, the minister said.
“If an accident happened, who would take responsibility? The Chief Minister or you all (Opposition). One large bowl full of milk was being heated on a kerosene stove. The whole milk was for the six-month-old? And lighting a stove on a footpath that people and children are using… an accident can happen. Then who will take responsibility?” she asked.
The video, now viral, has drawn widespread criticism, with many questioning how the administration can stop a woman from boiling milk for her child, and others saying that people are forced to live on streets due to a systemic failure in society.
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“Today, one is talking of humanity; we are humane, we don’t have to learn it from you. Five days before this incident, we had a meeting with all the chambers about a slum rehabilitation programme. We have discussed this.”
According to Paul, the family had been asked to go back to their residence or move to a shelter. “The woman is telling me on camera that she stays in Dhapa. Then why is she staying on the footpath of Free School Street? This woman’s son used to work at the Karnani Mansion, but he was let go for stealing. The footpath is not for the rich or the poor; it is for people. Even the Supreme Court has ordered that footpaths be kept free for use by the people,” she said.
Paul said the Opposition cannot tolerate the BJP’s massive victory in the Assembly polls earlier this year. “I understand that the Opposition cannot tolerate the huge mandate with which we have come (to power). But we have made promises and we have to keep them. People have given a mandate for a clean city; they (Opposition) have a problem if we remove illegal parking, if we say that one-third of the footpath be used by hawkers and two-thirds by pedestrians; they have a problem. If we say, don’t light a kerosene stove, they have a problem. There is talk of job creation and investment. Today, if investors from other states come and see the conditions of our roads and footpaths, will they come?”
“The Chief Minister has said that by October 10, we will clean all streets. Now drains are being cleaned. What have you done?” she questioned the Opposition parties.
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Paul said the state government would not allow illegal parking, footpaths would be cleaned and slums would be relocated under central schemes. “Kolkata is the face and window of West Bengal and we have to clean and beautify it. We all have to be disciplined… Yes, I may have shouted, yes, I should have said it softly or more understandingly,” said Paul.
Earlier, Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool Congress MLA and spokesperson of the party’s Mamata Banerjee-led faction, criticised Paul over the video. “Let the pavements be cleared, but not by wiping away the human face.”
Ghosh said he met the affected woman, who told him that she hails from Punjab. “She is Hindu and her name is Sita. She married a Muslim man and is now known as Rashida. After her husband left, she was left helpless with one son and two daughters. Her son has died. One of her daughters has also been abandoned by her husband. They have no home. She lives by the roadside with her daughter and a small child. She cleans the streets and pavements and scavenges for waste. She has nowhere else to go,” the Trinamool leader said.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
