The West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) held a protest rally outside Swasthya Bhawan, the state health department office, to address the growing dengue outbreak in the region. Party members, including the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, and 22 BJP MLAs, attempted to submit a deputation regarding the dengue situation but were halted by police citing security concerns.
A heated exchange ensued between BJP members and the police, leading to BJP MLAs chanting slogans against the state government, accusing it of failing to control the dengue outbreak.
Adhikari expressed frustration over the police's decision to only allow him inside the building, preventing other BJP MLAs from entering. He criticized the state government for hindering their efforts while, in his view, failing to address the dengue crisis adequately.
Adhikari described the state government's response to the outbreak as "eyewash," alleging that it was attempting to downplay the situation by referring to it as an "unknown fever."
In response to these allegations, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) urged the BJP to avoid politicizing the issue and emphasized the need for public awareness to combat the dengue crisis.
On Monday, the West Bengal government issued directives to districts to promptly address dengue hotspots based on entomological alerts, as the number of cases continues to rise in the state. The government also called on central government offices in West Bengal to ensure cleanliness and implement preventive measures, especially at under-construction projects such as those related to the Kolkata Metro.
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