Kolkata, Oct 18 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday issued an appeal to the opposition parties in the state, requesting them to refrain from doing politics and making politically loaded statements in connection with the tragic stampede at the community Durga Puja pandal in North Kolkata, where 19 people lost their lives.

At the same time, he gave a call for all to work together in this moment of crisis. “I do not want to do politics over this issue. I am also requesting the opposition parties to refrain from doing so. I first received information about this tragedy from the Kolkata Police Commissioner at 8:20 p.m. on Saturday. I want to work together with all in this atmosphere of mourning,” the Chief Minister told media persons.

Without naming any particular political party, the Chief Minister said that politics over the tragedy on the part of a political party which ruled the state earlier was not acceptable, considering so many disasters killing a greater number of people during their tenure.

To substantiate his point on this issue, the Chief Minister also referred to tragedies like collapse of the Posta Bridge, part of the Vivekananda Road flyover in North Kolkata on March 31, 2016, killing seven people and injuring over 80; the collapse of a portion of Majerhat Bridge in South Kolkata on September 4, 2018 and stampede at a fare at Panihati in North 24 Parganas district in July 2022.

“During the monsoon before the Durga Puja last year, as many as 13 persons died after getting electrocuted while coming in touch with submerged electricity wires in Kolkata. What was the former Chief Minister doing then? Last year, so many people died in a flash flood in North Bengal in October. Then the state administration was busy with a carnival in Kolkata,” CM Adhikari said.

He also said that the families of the deceased have expressed their trust in him. “I had tears in my eyes when these families held my hand. I also apologised. They also cried and said they have trust in this government,” the Chief Minister said.

On Saturday, immediately after the tragedy, Trinamool Congress’s Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member, Abhishek Banerjee, issued a social media message where he lambasted the current state administration over the tragedy.

“FIRST IN MY BLOODLINE! Shame on @KolkataPolice, @WBPolice and @SuvendyWB. May Maa Durga grant strength and solace to the grieving families and bless all those injured with a swift and complete recovery,” Abhishek Banerjee’s social media post read.

–IANS

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