The political atmosphere of the state has completely heated up over the incident of a woman heating milk for her child on the footpath in Park Street, Central Kolkata. Trinamool Congress (TMC) was continuously adopting an aggressive stance on this issue, but now the matter has taken a new political turn. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari himself met the victim woman. Sita Devi, with the child in her lap, presented all her problems to the Chief Minister. After meeting the woman, the CM has made a very sharp attack on TMC.
The controversy started when a video went viral on social media, in which Minister Agnimitra was seen allegedly scolding a woman who was heating milk for her child on a kerosene stove on the footpath of Paul Park Street area. The minister who arrived for inspection had instructed the woman to immediately extinguish the stove and vacate the footpath.
Chief Minister Suvendu heard the plight of the woman
After the video surfaced, social media users and opposition parties gave very strong reactions to it. People and activists raised questions as to how a minister could stop a hungry child from heating his milk. Meanwhile, the victim woman reached the Chief Minister's 'Janata Darbar' on Tuesday. He told all his problems while crying. During this, CM Suvendu Adhikari consoled the woman and assured her that living arrangements for her family would be made as soon as possible.
'Mamata Banerjee is trying to bribe' – Suvendu
After meeting the victim woman, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, while talking to journalists, made big allegations against TMC. He said that the woman herself has told him that she has full faith in the Chief Minister and BJP. CM claimed that Mamata Banerjee is sending her people to the victim woman and is trying to bribe her to give a statement against BJP. CM said, 'Mamata Banerjee is sending people from tomorrow saying that if you speak against BJP, you will get money.'
Mamta Banerjee had strongly condemned the incident
Earlier, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee had strongly condemned the incident. He had said during his Facebook Live that it does not suit any public representative to use such hateful language towards the poor. Being poor is not a crime. The mother who was heating milk for her child on the road was helpless and was not even allowed to do so. He had raised the question whether anyone felt bad while throwing away milk, and reminded that mother's curse is the biggest curse.
Suvendu retaliates on Mamata Banerjee's offer of help
Mamata Banerjee had offered to help the woman and said that if the family living on the footpath agreed, she would arrange for their stay at the house of one of her party workers, provide them food and also take full responsibility for the further education of the child. Countering this, CM Suvendu Adhikari said during the press conference at the State Secretariat Nabanna that if Mamata Banerjee is really worried, then why doesn't she keep the woman in her house and take care of her?