Cracker factory blast: Bengal minister and Trinamool MP face public anger
Kolkata (IANS) | A minister from West Bengal and a Rajya Sabha MP from Trinamool Congress reached Egra in Midnapore district on Wednesday. Here the minister and MP had to face heavy opposition from the local people. According to reports, there was an explosion at a firecracker factory located in Egra on Tuesday, in which nine people were killed. There is anger among the people due to this blast.
Dr Manas Bhunia, Minister in-charge of the Environment Department of West Bengal, and Dola Sen, Rajya Sabha MP of Trinamool Congress, were heckled by a group of people as soon as they reached the spot. The locals held the state’s ruling party responsible for the tragedy and raised slogans.
Some protesters also raised slogans calling Trinamool Congress leaders thieves. However, both Sen and Bhunia remained calm instead of getting into controversy. He tried to pacify the locals by saying that the state administration would take full responsibility of compensation for the families of the deceased as well as the injured.
However, his efforts to convince did not work much and the sloganeering intensified. Some protesters also questioned the minister and the MP as to why the police administration was reluctant to take action against the illegal firecracker factory.
A protester asked the minister why have you come here now? What’s the point of coming here now? Finally in the face of massive protests, Bhunia and Sen left the spot. However, before leaving the village, he met the relatives of one of the victims.
Bhunia said that we had reached the spot following an instruction from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. But some unruly elements tried to create chaos on our tour and tried to instigate us. However, let’s not get caught up in that. That’s why we’re going back. Met the family members of one of the victims.
Meanwhile, the factory owner Krishnapad Bagh alias Bhanu, a former Trinamool Congress panchayat member, is still absconding. Police is trying to trace his mobile and trace his location.
–IANS
