No Empathy, accountability: BJP slams Mamata over Kolkata's Khidirpore fire

The BJP has lashed out at the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over an altercation with a shopkeeper after a devastating fire gutted over 1300 shops in Kolkata's Khidirpore area.

BJP Leader Amit Malviya has accused Banerjee of arriving late on the spot and blaming the victims for the inferno. He also slammed the West Bengal Chief Minister for not having any empathy towards the shopkeepers who have lost their shops in the fire.

He alleged that Banerje not only arrived late, but also blamed the victims and allowed her cronies to threaten the anguished shopkeepers.

"No Empathy. No accountability," Malviya wrote on X.

Malviya also asked Mamata to seek answers from West Bengal Fire Minister Sujit Bose for the two-hour delay in fire responses and also asked her to hold Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim accountable for lack of fire safety in the market.

Banerjee visited the area on Monday and has announced a compensation of Rs 1 Lakh for the shopkeepers who lost their shops in the blaze and Rs 50,000 for those whose shops were partially affected. The Chief Minister spoke to the shopkeepers and assured them long-term support by the government.

During her visit, she was questioned by the shopkeeper regarding the time the government will take to rebuild the gutted shops.

"The government is sympathetic. It has its own process. We will rebuild the shops as soon as possible," she told the shopkeepers.

She also said that the government will not only rebuild the market, but will also help the traders restart their businesses from the ground.