Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday countered Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s criticism of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the Anandapur fire incident, highlighting BJP’s alleged links with fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.
Abhishek accused the BJP of politicizing the incident and seeking to profit from it. “It’s the BJP’s habit to politicize an incident,” he said while addressing the media at Kolkata airport before heading to Delhi for the Union budget session.
Asserting that the state government had taken all necessary steps following the fire incident, the senior TMC leader rejected BJP allegations related to one of the owners of the food outlet accompanying the chief minister on a foreign tour.
“Just because he accompanied the CM, we must keep in mind that Mehul Choksi and Nirav Modi had accompanied Modi and other BJP bigwigs in visits abroad. Should Modi be held accountable for sharing photos with Choksi and Nirav Modi?,” he asked.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday hit out at Chief Minister Banerjee over the Baruipur warehouse fire incident, alleging that she was trying to cover up the tragedy that left at least 27 people dead and several missing. Shah questioned Mamata Banerjee’s alleged ties to the Wow! Momo owner, asking, “Who is the momo factory owner close to? With whom did he go abroad? Till now, why has he not been arrested? I want to ask if these (victims) were infiltrators, would her (Mamata Banerjee) reaction be the same? After 32 hours, the fire minister visited the spot…”
Abhishek termed the allegations ‘baseless’, and said, “As industrialists, the representatives of the state government will not go, then who will?”.
He further questioned that if “Mamata was responsible for the Anandapur incident, then who was accountable for incidents in Goa and Indore?”
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Abhishek Banerjee claimed that “The prime minister is responsible for all those incidents,” adding, “It should be noted that more than 20 people died in a fire in a nightclub in Goa. Many people have died after drinking ‘contaminated’ water in Indore. Many others are sick. Modi is responsible in all cases!”
The TMC MP from Diamond Harbour emphasized a collective approach, saying mistakes happen, but everyone should work together to prevent them.
“It is not possible for the government to see the condition of a private warehouse. The government got the news and acted with considerable prowess,” he said.
He also clarified that if anyone else is involved in the Anandpur incident, they will not be spared. “No matter how big an industrialist, action will be taken.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
