West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has come under fierce attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after she skipped a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday to assess the damage by Cyclone Yaas that ravaged Bengal and Odisha earlier this week.
Mamata didn't attend the review meeting with PM Modi which was held at Kalaikunda Air Base in Bengal's West Midnapore district. Sources said she submitted a report and left the meeting which was attended by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari and other top officials.
ALSO READ: Mamata arrives late for Cyclone Yaas review meet with PM Modi, leaves after handing over documents
Suvendu launches severe attack on Mamata
Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Mamata Banerjee, in a nail-biting contest in Nandigram in the just concluded Bengal Assembly polls, slammed the chief minister for her conduct. Adhikari said Mamata has shown "once again that she is insensitive to the sufferings of the people of West Bengal". Today is a dark day in India’s long-standing ethos of cooperative federalism, a principle held sacred by PM @narendramodi," he tweeted.
"The way @MamataOfficial Didi behaved with PM @narendramodi reflects her dictatorial nature and lack of respect for constitutional values. Instead of working with the PM for the betterment of West Bengal, she is indulging in petty politics. Her skipping the meeting is disgusting," Adhikari said in a series of tweets.
"On previous occasions, PM @narendramodi has reviewed floods, cyclone situations with different CMs who belonged to non-NDA parties. None of these CMs behaved the way Mamata Didi behaved today. There is a time for politics and a time for governance. Didi can’t comprehend that," he said.
Adhikari, who was once considered Mamata's close aide, accused the TMC government of rampant corruption during Cyclone Amphan relief work in the state last year.
"If her track record is anything to go by, @MamataOfficial Didi’s administration was unable to manage Amphan relief. Rampant loot plagued the relief works. Even now, West Bengal is suffering and the state government is in absent mode," he said.
Mamata seeks Rs 20,000 crore relief package
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee submitted a report to PM Modi on the damages caused by Cyclone Yaas in the state, and sought a Rs 20,000-crore package for redevelopment of the worst-affected areas.
PM Modi flew down to Odisha earlier in the day to review the post-cyclone situation, and then made his way to Bengal, where the storm wreaked havoc in the coastal districts.
The state has incurred a loss of Rs 20,000 crore due to the cyclone, Banerjee claimed.
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