Kolkata, June 17
A political storm erupted in West Bengal on Tuesday following a massive fire that broke out early Monday morning in the Khidirpur area of south Kolkata, reducing over 1,300 shops in a bustling marketplace to ashes.
While there were no casualties reported, the estimated loss from the blaze runs into several crores of rupees. This led to sharp political exchanges between the government and the opposition.
On Tuesday afternoon, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, visited the site and launched a broadside on the state administration.
Addressing the affected shopkeepers, Adhikari alleged that the state fire services department deliberately delayed its response, enabling the complete destruction of the market. He further claimed the fire was part of a larger conspiracy to facilitate a land grab by the so-called “land mafia.”
“The fire broke out after 1 a.m. on Monday, and the local police station as well as the fire services department were informed immediately. Yet the fire tenders reportedly arrived only at 4 a.m. You can understand the kind of game that’s being played here,” Adhikari said.
He also accused the state government of selling off prime public land to private players.