West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee fired back at opposition parties on Thursday, accusing them of exploiting tragic electrocution deaths for political gain. She called it “politics over bodies” during a time when families are grieving.
The deaths happened earlier this week after heavy rains flooded streets across Kolkata and nearby areas. On Tuesday alone, 10 people lost their lives to electrocution, with eight cases in Kolkata. Victims touched live electricity wires submerged in the waterlogged roads, turning a simple walk into a deadly risk.
Banerjee made her comments while kicking off several community Durga Puja pandals in the city—a festive tradition that’s a big deal in West Bengal right now. At one event, she urged critics to reflect on their actions. “We never do politics over bodies,” she said. “Any death is unfortunate. Those who are now resorting to politics over the deaths should do some self-introspection.”
She took a subtle jab at Nawsad Siddique, the only lawmaker from the India Secular Front in the state assembly. Without naming him, Banerjee mocked his recent public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the Calcutta High Court over the electrocution crisis. “Some people had filed a case in this issue at the Calcutta High Court,” she noted. “There are some people in the state whose only motto in life is to create complications.”
Banerjee also pointed fingers at bigger problems fueling West Bengal’s annual floods. She blamed the Damodar Valley Corporation for releasing water from its dams without warning the state government. “There is not enough dredging at the Farakka barrage,” she added. “The Kolkata Port Trust also does not do proper dredging. This worsens the situation further.”
On top of that, record rains hit hard in a short span, overwhelming the system. Banerjee said she’s been raising these issues for years, but no one listens. The electrocution deaths in Kolkata highlight the urgent need for better flood management and infrastructure upgrades in flood-prone West Bengal cities.
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