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Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accuses PM Modi of 'politicising' Bengal floods
PM Modi on Monday said the attack on BJP leaders at a landslide-hit area highlighted the "absolutely pathetic" law and order situation in West Bengal.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of "politicising a natural disaster" and "breaching the constitutional ethos", after he criticised the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government over the assault on two BJP leaders in the northern part of the state.
BJP MP Khagen Murmu and MLA Sankar Ghosh were injured in an attack by a mob during their visit to the flood and landslide-hit Dooars region in the north Bengal.
Responding to the prime minister's post on X, where he said the incident highlighted the "absolutely pathetic" law and order situation in West Bengal, Banerjee issued a detailed statement on the platform, urging Modi to act as the "prime minister of India, not of the BJP".
"It is unfortunate and deeply concerning that the prime minister of India has chosen to politicise a natural disaster without waiting for a proper investigation, especially while people in north Bengal are grappling with the aftermath of devastating floods and landslides," Banerjee wrote.
She alleged that while the administration and police were engaged in relief and rescue work, BJP leaders had "chosen to go to the affected areas with a large convoy of cars and under security cover of the central forces," and that too "without any information to local police and administration."
"How can the state administration, local police or the TMC be blamed for the incident?" the chief minister asked.
Taking strong exception to the prime minister's remarks, Banerjee said, "The PM has blamed the TMC and the West Bengal government outright without a shred of verified evidence, legal inquiry, or administrative report. This is not just a political low; it is a breach of the constitutional ethos the PM has sworn to uphold. In any democracy, the law must take its own course, and only due process can determine culpability -- not a tweet from a political pulpit."
"The incident occurred in a constituency where the people themselves have elected a BJP MLA. Yet the prime minister sees no contradiction in painting the incident as a reflection of TMC's so-called 'strongmanship'. Such sweeping, unsubstantiated generalisations are not only immature, but also unbecoming of the highest office in the land," she said.
Coming from a prime minister who visited Manipur only 964 days after it was engulfed in ethnic violence, the sudden concern for West Bengal appears less like empathy and more like opportunistic political theatre, she said.
Banerjee asserted that while violence must be condemned, "this is not the time for partisan chest-thumping. This is a time to help and heal".
Accusing the BJP of trying to stoke divisions, she said, "It's also evident that BJP is resorting to the tired north Bengal vs south Bengal narrative, hoping to polarise people ahead of elections. Let us be clear: Bengal is one -- emotionally, culturally, and politically."
In a direct appeal to Modi, she added, "I urge the prime minister: listen to the elected state government, not just your party colleagues. You are the prime minister of India, not just of BJP. Your responsibility lies in nation-building, not narrative-building."
She said her government's priority was rescue and rehabilitation, not political blame games.
"At this critical hour, let us not deepen divides. Let us stand united beyond party lines, to serve the people who need us the most. This is a time to help and heal. Let's leave politics for another day," she concluded.
Earlier in the day, Modi had posted on X condemning the attack on Murmu and Ghosh in Jalpaiguri district, calling it absolutely pathetic and reflective of the TMC government's collapse of law and order.
He said, "The manner in which our party colleagues, including a sitting MP and MLA, were attacked in West Bengal for serving the people affected by floods and landslides is outright appalling. It highlights the insensitivity of the TMC as well as the absolutely pathetic law and order situation in the state."
"I call upon BJP Karyakartas to continue working among the people and assist the ongoing rescue operations," he added.
Murmu and Ghosh were attacked by a mob while visiting Nagrakata in Jalpaiguri, one of the regions worst affected by recent floods and landslides that have claimed at least 30 lives across north Bengal.
