'So many died at Kumbh, …': Abhishek Banerjee slams BJP, hails Mamata for quick action after Messi chaos

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday evening defended the West Bengal government’s handling of the chaos during football icon Lionel Messi’s appearance at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium. He took a swipe at the BJP, comparing the state’s response with stampede incidents in BJP-ruled states, and noted that the Bengal administration acted swiftly and took responsibility.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Banerjee pointed out that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had apologised on Sunday within an hour of the incident and set in motion action against those responsible.

“So many people were killed at the Kumbh Mela during this government’s rule and in the New Delhi railway station stampede. Did anyone apologise there? In Bengal, within one hour of the incident, the Chief Minister apologised. Action is being taken against everyone,” he said. Using a Hindi idiom to underline accountability, Banerjee added, “Jhukta wahi hai jisme jaan hai. Akad to murdon ki pehchaan hai (Only those who have life in them bow; rigidity is the mark of the dead). We have bowed before the people. That is why the BJP loses, and the Trinamool defeats them.”

Banerjee said action was being taken across the board, from police officers to stadium management and the political executive, following allegations of mismanagement at the high-profile event.

Backing Banerjee’s remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said he was highlighting what she described as the BJP’s “non-accountability and hypocrisy.”