Union Home Minister Amit Shah has blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led government for the deadly Kolkata warehouse fire, calling it “not an accident” but a result of corruption. Police are probing the incident, with arrests already made.
Amit Shah targets Mamata govt over Kolkata warehouse fire
Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, holding it responsible for the deadly fire at a warehouse-cum-momo factory in Kolkata’s Anandpur area. Addressing a BJP karyakarta sammelan, Shah alleged that the tragedy was a direct outcome of corruption and administrative failure under the state government.
Beginning his address, Shah paid homage to the workers who lost their lives in the blaze, asserting that the incident should not be dismissed as an accident.
“As I stand before this large gathering, I first pay tribute to the workers who died in the Anandpur warehouse fire. This was not an accident. It was caused by the corruption of the Mamata Banerjee government,” Shah said, drawing loud applause from party workers.
The fire broke out earlier this week at a momo factory operating inside a warehouse in the Anandpur area of Kolkata. Several workers were killed, while many others were reported missing in the aftermath.
According to Baruipur Police, 21 samples have been sent for forensic profiling, and 27 missing-person complaints have been registered so far. Authorities have confirmed the arrest of three individuals, and investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and possible safety violations.
Shah also accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of intimidating members of the Matua and Namashudra communities, urging them not to feel threatened.
He claimed that voting rights of citizens could not be taken away and reiterated the BJP’s stance on the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Shah said infiltrators would be removed from voter lists, regardless of the state government’s opposition, asserting that a future BJP government in West Bengal would ensure its implementation.
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Escalating his attack, the Home Minister challenged Banerjee to prove her commitment to fighting corruption by denying election tickets to leaders facing graft allegations.
“If Mamata ji truly opposes corruption, she should not give tickets to tainted leaders. She will not do it because they will expose her nephew’s name,” Shah alleged, adding that a BJP-led government would investigate every corruption case and take strict legal action.
Shah also remembered Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, calling him a “priceless gem of Bengal.” He credited Mukherjee with preventing West Bengal from becoming part of Bangladesh and highlighted his sacrifice for national unity, particularly on the Kashmir issue.
