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Suvendu Adhikari said that the crisis was a “curse from Ma Durga” because Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Pujas before Devi Paksha and did so wearing a hijab.
Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the Chief Minister was shifting blame to CESC and DVC, while ignoring forecasts and failing to act proactively. (Image: PTI/File)
At least 10 people were killed in West Bengal following torrential overnight rain — among the heaviest in four decades — which left Kolkata and adjoining districts paralysed on Tuesday. Eight people died in Kolkata due to electrocution, while one death each was reported from Bishnupur (Amtala) and North 24 Parganas.
The unprecedented rainfall — over 300 mm in just a few hours, according to government figures — brought air, rail, and road traffic to a standstill, forced the closure of schools and colleges, and prompted the state government to advance the Durga Puja holidays.
Speaking exclusively to News18, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said: “This kind of unprecedented rain, I have never seen in my life. No sewerage system in the world could have handled this situation. Still, our workers have done their best.”
Opposition vs Government
The situation has triggered a sharp political face-off. Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari accused the Trinamool Congress government of negligence, posting: “EXPOSED: Mamata Banerjee’s shameless lies and incompetence… The IMD had issued an orange warning for very heavy rainfall in Gangetic West Bengal. Yet the government did nothing to prepare. This is not an act of God, it’s a failure of leadership.”
Adhikari alleged that the Chief Minister was shifting blame to CESC and DVC, while ignoring forecasts and failing to act proactively.
He went as far as to claim that the crisis was a “curse from Ma Durga” because Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Pujas before Devi Paksha and did so wearing a hijab — comments that further inflamed the political war of words.
BJP’s Amit Malviya, too, echoed the same on X.
Mamata Banerjee brought this wrath upon Kolkata when she inaugurated Hatibagan Sarbojanin’s 91st Durga Puja wearing a hijab.Would she ever dare to wear Hindu symbols while attending an Islamic function?
If Kolkata and Hindu Bengalis don’t wake up to this menace of brazen… pic.twitter.com/7k31TteWAF
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 23, 2025
TMC leaders have dismissed these remarks. Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: “What do you mean by unprecedented? Even Mumbai and other cities get flooded. These are natural calamities.”
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, condemned attempts to politicise the disaster: “Some people are making political comments over this disaster — this should not be done. Even after the massive landslides in Uttarakhand or floods in Delhi and Maharashtra, we never said a word. But remember, nature is not in our control. There is a limit to civility.”
The CESC Controversy
Electrocution deaths have also triggered a blame game between the government and CESC, the private utility that supplies electricity to Kolkata.
Mamata Banerjee said she had spoken to CESC Chairman Sanjiv Goenka and asked the company to ensure safety around exposed wires and to provide Rs 5 lakh compensation to the victims’ families.
CESC, however, issued a statement clarifying its position: “As a matter of abundant caution, considering public safety and extreme waterlogging, supply to certain areas has been proactively switched off. Power will be restored only when water recedes to safe levels. Street light poles and traffic lights are not owned, maintained or managed by CESC. Our teams are working round the clock in coordination with authorities.”
Power cuts continue in parts of the city. The India Meteorological Department has forecast improvement in the weather over the next 24–48 hours, but with the Durga Puja season approaching, the political storm shows no signs of abating.
Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East…Read More
Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East… Read More
September 24, 2025, 15:54 IST
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