‘BJP’s triple-engine failure in Malda cost an innocent life...’

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Saturday tore apart the Modi government at the Centre following the death of a 25-year-old woman who died while being taken to a rural hospital on a charpoy by her family after ambulances and local vehicles denied service due to the poor condition of a road connecting her village in Malda district with the medical establishment.

Trinamool Congress said: “BJP’s ‘Triple-Engine Failure in Malda’ cost an innocent woman’s life.”

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh highlighted that the responsibility of constructing roads in Bamangola lies squarely with the BJP as the area has a BJP MLA and BJP MP. Until recently, even the Gram Panchayat of the region was controlled by the BJP.

“Any death is painful. But it is a matter of debate as to whether the death occurred due to the road or some other reason. If it is indeed due to the condition of the roads, we have to keep in mind that the MP there is from BJP, the MLA is from BJP and even the Panchayat belonged to BJP until recently. So, road repair is the responsibility of the BJP,” said Ghosh.

The incident took place when the family members of Mamuni Roy, who had been ill for a few days, were taking her on a charpoy (cot) from her village Maldanga to Modipukur rural hospital, around four-and-half-km away, in Bamangola area on Friday.

Her husband Kartik Roy claimed they had to carry her to the rural hospital on the cot as no ambulance or local vehicle was willing to risk the perilous journey due to the poor condition of the road.

“They speak of a double-engine government but this place had triple engines as the MP, MLA, and the Panchayat belonged to them. Why did they not repair the road? They failed to perform their basic duties and hence even the ambulance or e-rickshaws cannot ply on the roads. Now that someone has died, they are trying to blame AITC. This is because they had asked for peoples’ votes saying that they will work for wel-fare,” Ghosh added.

In another development, TMC on Saturday lashed out at the Centre for hiking train fares. In a post on social media X, TMC said: “In @BJP4India’s Amrit Kaal, train travel, lifeline for In-dia’s poor, turning into an ordeal! Train fares soaring like flight charges; up to Rs. 9,395 for a second AC ticket. Affordable sleeper-class coaches slashed from 73% pre-2014 to 54% in 2023. Over 1.4 crore passengers denied confirmed seats, still slapped with cancellation fees. PM @narendramodi, how does this align with the supposed ‘Sabka Sath’ concept?”