'Inefficient' Mamata has turned state secretariat into TMC

The West Bengal BJP on Wednesday said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has turned the state secretariat into a party office of the Trinamool Congress, slamming her for indulging in politics amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

State BJP president Dilip Ghosh said health services have completely collapsed in West Bengal and Banerjee has proved to be an inefficient administrator.

"The chief minister has chosen Nabanna (state secretariat) to launch attacks on the BJP and turned it into a TMC party office," Ghosh told reporters here.

Ghosh alleged that COVID-19 patients were not getting beds in government hospitals, where "bodies of the deceased are piling up".

He said mobile phones have been disallowed in hospitals in an attempt to "suppress information" to relatives of patients.

The BJP leader also said foodgrains supplied by the Centre are not getting distributed properly. "Even BJP leaders who are reaching out to people to handover foodgrains are being stopped," he claimed.

Ghosh said Banerjee has been seeking cooperation from political parties, but never discussed the COVID-19 situation with them.

"I want to ask how many all-party meetings have been convened by the chief minister?" he said.

He also criticised the assault on policemen in Howrah district on Tuesday, and said it will weaken the mental strength of the force.

Two policemen were injured after a mob attacked a police party, enforcing lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus at Tikiapara in the district, a 'red zone'.