Jalpaiguri flash flood: Durga Puja carnival should have been called off, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury says
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Durga Puja Carnival should have been canceled in the wake of the flash floods in Jalpaiguri on Oct. 5.
Kolkata,UPDATED: Oct 8 2022 01:23 IST
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said all carnivals should have been canceled after the Jalpaiguri flash flood incident. (Photo: PTI)
By Anupam Mishra: Congressman Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has said the Durga Puja Carnival in West Bengal should have been canceled after the sudden flooding incident in Jalpaiguri that killed eight devotees.
Addressing a press in Murshidabad, Adhir Ranjan accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for using the carnival as a political tool and said the prime minister does not know the meaning of a carnival.
“All carnivals in the state should have been canceled after the tragedy in Jalpaiguri,” he added.
READ | 8 dead, several missing in flash flood during idol submersion in Jalpaiguri. in Bengal
Dozens of devotees were swept away by a flash flood during the immersion of the Durga Puja idol in the Mal River at Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Oct. 5. The Mal River rises in the hills and the water accumulated in the higher regions due to the heavy rainfall. This caused the flash floods.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday ex-gratia of Rs two lakh each for the relatives of those who lost their lives in the incident. Each of them also announced Rs 50,000 for the injured. About 450 people were rescued from the Mal River after the flash flood.
The Durga Puja Carnival includes the display of Kolkata’s best pandal themes before idol immersion. The carnival will be held tomorrow after a two-year hiatus and nearly 100 puja committees will display idols.
ALSO READ | Jalpaiguri flood: PM Modi, Mamata Banerjee announce Rs 2 lakh ex gratia each
