West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while speaking to the state Assembly on Tuesday, criticized the central government and the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government for alleged mismanagement at the current Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
“Maha Kumbh has turned into ‘Mrityu Kumbh,’” Mamata Banerjee remarked during the session.
Expressing her concerns, she stated, “I respect Maha Kumbh, I respect the holy Ganga Maa. But there is no planning…How many people have been recovered?…For the rich, the VIP, there are systems available to get camps [tents] for as high as ₹1 lakh. For the poor, there are no arrangements at Kumbh…Stampede situation is common in a ‘mela’ but it is important to make arrangements. What planning did you make?” She accused the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, of failing to ensure proper safety and organization.
Additionally, Mamata Banerjee challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to substantiate allegations linking her to Bangladeshi fundamentalists. She asserted that she would resign if the party could provide concrete evidence to support its claims.
She further stated that she would raise a complaint with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding “his MLAs” accusing her of “being hand in glove with Bangladeshi fundamentalists.”
Banerjee also accused the BJP of exploiting religion for political gain, asserting in the Assembly that “freedom of speech doesn’t allow BJP MLAs to spread hatred and divide people.”
Meanwhile, Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal, alleged on Saturday that certain areas in the state had become hubs for anti-national activities and held Mamata Banerjee responsible.
“There are some areas in Bengal where anti-national activities are high,” Adhikari told reporters, as quoted by news agency ANI.
He further claimed, “In the last 2-3 months, many Bangladeshis, Rohingyas, and extremists have been arrested by Assam Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police. There are 50-55 assembly constituencies and 30-35 police stations where the demography has changed… Mamata Banerjee is directly responsible for this. She has failed as a police minister (Home Minister) in Bengal.”
BJP leaders in the state have consistently accused Mamata Banerjee’s government of allowing illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants to settle in West Bengal.
These accusations were prominently highlighted by senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign.
On Tuesday, BJP legislators, led by Suvendu Adhikari, conducted a sit-in on the grounds of the West Bengal Assembly, protesting what they referred to as “appeasement politics” by Mamata Banerjee’s government.
Approximately 30 BJP lawmakers took part in the protest, chanting slogans such as “Murti bhangar sarkar aar nei darkar” (We don’t want a government that cannot prevent vandalism of Puja pandals), as they sat on the stairs leading to the main entrance of the Assembly hall.