‘What could I have done that day?’: Mamata defends taking part in Carnival amid disaster in Darjeeling

Bengal CM had faced flak for taking part in the grand celebrations in Kolkata on Sunday evening

Written by Atri Mitra

Kolkata | October 8, 2025 06:55 AM IST

2 min read

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with flood affected people (Express Photo)

Facing criticism for taking part in the Durga Puja Carnival even as north Bengal reeled under floods and landslides, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Opposition BJP of “shamelessly politicising a natural calamity for narrow political gains”.

“If I had gone that day, what could I have done? The administration needs time to begin work after such a disaster. Going there would have hampered the rescue operation… The carnival is not a party function. It’s an event that represents West Bengal’s culture and unity. Foreign dignitaries and guests were present at the event,” she said while addressing a press conference at Uttarkanya, the state secretariat in north Bengal.

“Some people have already started doing politics. Why shouldn’t the carnival happen in West Bengal? It’s our pride. The clubs wait for it all year. Doesn’t that have any value?” the chief minister added.

Also Read | Rain Fury in Darjeeling Hills: Relief work in full swing, CM says rebuilding the region her top priority

She also rejected the Opposition’s charge that the government was slow to respond to the disaster in the affected areas.

“I held a meeting with the chief secretary and Director General of Police at 5 in the morning on Sunday… The primary requirement after a flood is to rescue the people who are stranded. They were in panic. The primary role of the administration is to assure them. We reached North Bengal within 36 hours of the incident,” she said.

“People are dying in natural disasters, yet some are saying bridges collapsed due to negligence. Bridges are collapsing in Maharashtra, Delhi, UP, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, everywhere. Even the Maha Kumbh witnessed disasters. Did we ever politicise those?” she said.
With Mamata taking part in the Carnival on Sunday evening, the Opposition BJP and CPI(M) had called her “insensitive and irresponsible”.

From the homepage

‘There is confusion’: SC directs EC to give details of 3.66 lakh voters deleted from final Bihar electoral roll

Found dead with gunshot wound, IPS officer Puran Kumar was known for speaking up against caste bias, administrative issues

Removed after Rajasthan hospital blaze, doctor claims warnings about ‘current leakage’ were ignored

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal. Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Darjeeling Landslide durga puja West Bengal BJP