Siliguri, West Bengal: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday visited BJP MP Khagen Murmu at a private hospital in Siliguri, where he is undergoing treatment after being assaulted during his visit to flood and landslide-affected areas in Nagarkata, north Bengal.
A visual from PTI showed Banerjee entering the hospital and meeting Murmu, the MP from Maldaha Uttar, as she enquired about his condition. The visit comes at a time of heightened political tensions between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP in the state.
Mamata Banerjee’s Hospital Visit
According to TMC sources cited by an India Today report, Banerjee interacted with the doctors treating Murmu and assured him of full support from the state government. Speaking to reporters after the visit, she said, “I have received all inputs. He has high blood sugar. It needs to be controlled. I also wished him well and a speedy recovery.”
Murmu was allegedly attacked by a group of miscreants on Monday while interacting with local residents in the disaster-hit area. BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh, who was accompanying him, was also reportedly assaulted.
Political Reactions Escalate
The attack has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the ruling TMC and the opposition BJP. The BJP has accused the TMC of orchestrating the assault, while the Trinamool has dismissed the allegations, accusing BJP leaders of using the tragedy for “photo opportunities” rather than providing genuine relief.
Videos circulating on social media showed the BJP leaders’ car with a shattered windshield, while Murmu appeared with blood streaming from his nose. MLA Sankar Ghosh sustained minor injuries and his clothes were torn during the attack.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari launched a sharp attack on the Chief Minister, accusing her of being in “panic mode” amid growing public anger over what he termed her “insensitive celebrations” during the ongoing floods and landslides in north Bengal.
“Mamata Banerjee has realised (quite late) that the people of West Bengal have despised her inhuman act of dancing at a carnival with celebrities while North Bengal was reeling under floods,” Adhikari wrote on X. “In contrast, BJP MLAs and MPs were on the ground helping affected people. She has now unleashed her goons belonging from the ‘Special Community’ and incited them to attack BJP MPs and MLAs so they can be refrained from engaging in relief work.”
Additionally, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also previously, slammed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government for what he called an “absolutely pathetic” law and order situation, Mamata Banerjee accused him of politicising a natural disaster and breaching the “constitutional ethos” by making unverified allegations.
Responding to this, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, “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… 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,” a PTI report cited her.
Flood Situation Worsens In North Bengal
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours has triggered widespread flooding across the districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar. Among the worst-hit regions are Nagrakata in the Dooars and Mirik in Darjeeling, where landslides and swollen rivers have swept away homes and roads.
So far, at least 24 people have lost their lives in the calamity.
