With dengue scare sinking its teeth deep in Bengal and casualty reports leaping by the day triggering an Opposition backlash, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee resorted to shifting blame on the climate for proliferation of Aedes Egypti  — the mosquito that carries the dreaded virus — and the private laboratories for spreading giving an “artificial spurt to the disease” for business reasons.

Squarely blaming the changing weather pattern Banerjee on Monday said changing weather pattern was one of the main culprits behind the rise in dengue cases. “We experienced intermittent rains and flood this season. It is known to everyone that the weather is also behaving erratically causing diarrhea, fever. Dengue is also happening for the same reasons. It is nothing new. Things will be alright there is no reason to worry.”

The Chief Minister’s statement came in tandem with the Government’s sudden cancellation of licenses of three laboratories for allegedly fudging lab reports — an action that the opposition interpreted as strong-arm tactic of the political party in power to suppress dengue reports.

The Chief Minister had earlier warned the private laboratories against spreading “rumors of dengue cases” even as cases of deaths from “unknown fever” increased.

Curiously while Banerjee accused changing weather patterns and “spread of rumors by private laboratories for the sake of business” causing rise in dengue cases she also warned the municipalities and panchayat mostly run by her own Trinamool Congress against neglecting the situation.

She warned the councilors and panchayat members to, “either work sincerely and ensure cleanliness, or I will be forced to dissolve the municipal boards so that you all get to see the consequence of non-performance.

Meanwhile, Monday saw five more deaths: four from De Ganga in North 24 Parganas and one from elsewhere, Health department sources said adding the total number of deaths crossed 45. The number of people affected by dengue was more than 20,000 sources added. While Banerjee accused the weather and the private laboratories and warned the civic representatives against dereliction of duty opposition BJP and Congress launched protest rallies at various places including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The Congress even announced hosting of a protest rally against the Government on November 2 for failing to control rise in dengue cases.