The chief minister Mamata Banerjee today slammed the BJP for politicising any death. “Even if a person dies of cancer, the BJP leaders who are losing ground in Bengal are trying to abuse police and to pass off the death as political murder,” she said while inaugurating a Durga Puja at Bodyguards Line.
She said: “If you don’t show any respect to the police who are front-line warriors of Covid-19 pandemic, you will receive disrespect in return. Please try to show some respect for frontline Covid-19 warriors.”
She started inaugurating eminent Durga Pujas earlier this week but unlike other years she just lit the lamp in all the Puja pandals but did not address the gatherings, which she usually did earlier.
But at the Bodyguards Lines, after lighting the lamp she said,”I am feeling sad that one of my police officers today passed away while struggling against the pandemic. In the middle of festivities, I’m feeling sad as some of my party leaders and MLAs have passed away due to Covid.”
She also announced the next of kin of all policemen and officers who passed away because of Covid-19 will be given Rs 10 lakh as well as a job for a family member.
She said, “I’ve visited Bodyguard Lines many times earlier but due to waterlogging we had to come in boats. So the state government has sanctioned Rs 40 crores to municipal affairs department for setting up pumping stations.” she said.
The chief minister also asked the municipal affairs minister Firad Hakim, who was present on the occasion to expedite the work. She also asked the city police commissioner who had suffered from a mild case of Covid-19 to take care of his health.
Today the chief minister inaugurated all the Pujas in Alipore, Bhawanipore,Kalighat and Suruchi Sangha where PWD minister Aroop Biswas is the president. Yesterday, she covered s dozen Pujas in South Kolkata, Jodhpur Park and Babubagan in Dhakuria.