Mamata faces flak for not visiting fire site which claimed 27 lives

A catastrophic fire at twin warehouses in Kolkata’s Anandapur area on Republic Day has left a trail of devastation, claiming at least 27 lives and leaving dozens missing, while also igniting a fierce political battle over government accountability.

Five days after the blaze erupted, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has yet to visit the tragedy site—located just 10 km from her residence—prompting sharp criticism from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which accuses her of indifference and prioritising vote banks over victims.

On Saturday, addressing a Karyakarta Sammelan in North 24-Parganas district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said: “The fire in Anandapur is not an accident. 25 people have lost their lives, and 27 are missing. Why did this incident happen? Whose money is invested in this momo factory? Who are the owners of the momo factory? With whom have the owners of the momo factory travelled abroad on flights? And why hasn’t the owner of the momo factory been arrested yet?... Would Mamata Banerjee’s reaction have been the same if these were infiltrators? Bengali citizens have been killed; what are you doing with vote bank politics in this matter? Mamata Banerjee should be ashamed...”

He added: “Today, from here, I am demanding that the Chief Minister of Bengal conduct an impartial, judicial inquiry into this incident, and that those responsible be put behind bars... Suvendu Adhikari and Samik Bhattacharya went to meet the families of the victims. Our workers protested, and the police brutalised them. The corruption of Mamata Banerjee’s party and government can no longer be hidden. The Anandapur warehouse fire is screaming that Mamata Banerjee’s people are involved... If Mamata Banerjee wants to cover it up, but after April, when the BJP government comes, we will selectively put the culprits of this fire behind bars.”

The fire broke out around 3 a.m. on January 26 at the warehouses owned by Pushpanjali Decorators and the “Wow! Momo” food chain, storing highly inflammable materials like plastic flowers, wood, fabric, and furniture across nearly four bighas.

Fire Department director, General Ranveer Kumar revealed the facilities lacked fire safety clearances and operated without authorisation, employing 150-200 workers, many trapped in desperate circumstances.

Heart-rending accounts emerged from families: one relative recalled her son-in-law’s frantic 3 a.m. call pleading, “save me,” only for rescuers to arrive too late. Missing worker Pankaj Haldar reportedly messaged that the main gate was locked from outside, with workers attempting to break through a wall.

Recovery efforts yielded 27 body parts, including severely burnt and skeletal remains; 21 were sent for DNA sampling as burnt bones made conventional identification impossible.

Police arrested Pushpanjali Decorators owner Gangadhar Das for negligence causing death charges, remanding him till February 4. Two “Wow! Momo” staff—warehouse manager Raja Chakraborty and deputy Manoranjan Sheet—were also detained.

Fire Services Minister Sujit Bose faced hostile protests from BJP workers after he visited the site 32 hours after the blaze was first reported, with “go back” slogans and scuffles involving Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, visiting nearby on Thursday, lambasted Banerjee: “Mamata Banerjee’s residence is barely 10 km away, but she did not come. This government feels no responsibility towards Hindus.”

In a blistering social media post, Adhikari termed the incident “the direct consequence of Mamata Banerjee government’s chronic negligence, incompetence, and utter failure in governance,” demanding Fire Minister Bose’s resignation and compensation hikes to Rs 50 lakh per family.

On Friday, authorities invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for prohibitory orders in the area, but the Calcutta High Court permitted a protest march limited to 2,000 participants.

Buoyed by the High Court order permitting his visit, Suvendu Adhikari escalated his attack, leading a procession of 2,000 at Narendrapur demanding arrests of food chain owners and alleging TMC shielding the “real culprits.”

Slamming Banerjee’s absence, Adhikari alleged: “Mamata has not come because all those killed are Hindus. She has no time for Hindus. Had even one or two Muslim names been there, she would have rushed to her vote bank.”

The TMC countered with visits from senior leaders. Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim inspected the site on Tuesday, announcing Banerjee’s Rs 10 lakh ex-gratia per deceased family, plus civic volunteer jobs. State Power Minister Aroop Biswas arrived early, consoling kin and overseeing rescues.

From Singur on Wednesday, Mamata Banerjee reiterated aid commitments. “Wow! Momo” pledged matching Rs 10 lakh, lifetime salaries, and child education support.

Adhikari, in his attack, packaged the tragedy as communal neglect, amplifying BJP’s narrative of TMC’s governance lapses amid recurrent Kolkata fires.