Nirmal Maji, Trinamool Congress MLA, directed the state’s premier blood bank to stop a blood donation camp, allegedly because Left supporters were donating blood for the treatment of the flyover accident victims.
The emergency blood donation camp at Maniktala Blood Bank was organised by the SFI and DYFI, student youth wings of the CPM. The camp was organised to ensure smooth supply of blood to the injured being treated in different hospitals.
Maji, it is alleged, rushed to the blood bank and directed the authorities stop the camp.
At least 25 people were killed and 100 injured and some others feared trapped as a portion of a flyover under construction collapsed on a congested road intersection in Girish Park area of Kolkata on Thursday, crushing people and vehicles .
Maji was not available for comment- he neither picked up HT’s calls- nor responded to text messages.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee was also informed about the camp while she went at the spot to oversee rescue operations at Rabindra Sarani and Kali Krishna Tagore Street crossing.
“There is no need of doing politics with blood. We have sufficient stock of blood and right now one lakh people can donate blood if I ask them to do so,” Mamata reacted soon after coming know about the Maniktala blood bank camp.
{{/usCountry}}“There is no need of doing politics with blood. We have sufficient stock of blood and right now one lakh people can donate blood if I ask them to do so,” Mamata reacted soon after coming know about the Maniktala blood bank camp.
{{/usCountry}}CPI-M leaders Sujan Chakraborty (Jadavpur MLA) and Ritabrata Banerjee (Rajya Sabha MP) rushed to Maniktala when they learnt that the authorities have decided to stop the camp following Maji’s directive.
“It was Nirmal Maji’s gameplan to stop the camp organised by our students and youth wings. He is playing politics on precious blood that is essential for the treatment. Around 110 people donated blood while many others who came from nearby districts could not donate,” Banerjee said.
“We have never seen such dirty politics with blood at a time when most of the state run blood banks are have dwindling reserve during the poll season. Today our boys and girls have again donated blood at the Maniktala blood bank. Initially the authorities were reluctant to take blood from us today. We have requested all people cutting across their political colour to donate blood for the injured people,” Rajib Majumder, CPI-M candidate contesting from Maniktala assembly seat, told HT.
Since the Trinamool Congress swept the Left front out in the 2011 elections, leaders such as food and civil supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick urged the people to socially boycott CPIM leaders. He also said people should offer CPIM leaders and workers the treatment that they reserve for venomous snakes. Krishnagar MP Tapas Pal threatened to get CPIM supporters raped by his boys.