Kolkata:In a big turnaround in the Egra illegal fireworks factory blast case, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee apologised to the locals at Egra saying that the blast could have been averted if intelligence had functioned. The Chief Minister paid a visit to Bengal's Egra on Saturday.
Earlier Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the ruling TMC is not in charge of the village panchayat of Egra. This was because the TMC lost control to the BJP a few months back, she said. Hence the BJP-led panchayats are responsible for whatever is happening in the area, she said.
The Chief Minister also alleged that the TMC MLAs were barred from entering the area after the incident because the BJP commands more 'influence' in the area. Mamata also added in her speech that the owner of the illegal firecrackers factory was arrested by the police in October last year. However, Mamata claimed that after he got out on bail he got involved in the same activity. She also added that currently he has fled to Odisha but he will be arrested.
This led to a fierce war of words between the BJP and the TMC. In a tweet, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari wondered whether the Bengal-Orissa border is 'international' so that responsibility of its security can be given to the Border Security Force.
"Since the place is near the Odisha border, should we blame Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the Odisha Police," he had posed a question to Mamata. In another question, he asked whether Mamata is implying that if any Panchayat is governed by the opposition parties or by independents, the Law and Order duties rests upon the Panchayat and not on the Home Department. He also specifically asked whether such a law was passed by the state government in the Assembly.
At least nine people were killed and several were critically injured at a firecracker factory blast in Purba Midnapore's Egra. While the state government ordered a CID probe into the incident, the BJP demanded an investigation by the NIA. Suvendu had also filed a plea to the Calcutta High Court for an NIA probe into the incident. However, the court dismissed his petition.
