The Mamata Banerjee Government continued to throw barbs at the Centre for “trying to break India’s federal structure by interfering” in the State’s administrative domain.
Attacking the Centre for announcing compensation of Rs2 lakh for the stampede victims at Ganga Sagar “without obtaining any report from the State Government,” Bengal Minister and Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee on Monday said the Narendra Modi Government was “breaking all norms and undermining the country’s federal, democratic structure.”
There was no need for the Prime Minister to announce the compensation without getting proper report from the State Government, Chatterjee who was also in charge of affairs at Ganga Sagar said.
“The deaths were not caused because of any stampede as has been announced by the Centre” he said adding, “deaths might have been caused on account of extreme cold, old age or some disease.”
At least six pilgrims died at Ganga Sagar even as they rushed to take a mainland bound vessel on Sunday evening. Alleged mismanagement on the part of the State administration led to the mishap, locals complained even as the State remained in a denial mode. “An inquiry has been set and let us get the report first to ascertain the cause of the deaths,” Chatterjee said.
This is not the first time that the State Government had raised such questions. Earlier Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee mounted a scathing attack on the Centre for sending Central forces to the Bengal BJP headquarters when hundreds of Trinamool supporters attacked the saffron party office soon after TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay was arrested by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the Rose Valley scam.
The relations between the two Governments had touched the nadir in the past few weeks particularly after demonetisation. Things reached such a pass that the Chief Minister even threatened retaliatory measures after Bandyopadhyay’s arrest.
Soon after Bengal BJP vice president Jaypraksh Majumdar was arrested on Saturday on charges of fraud.