Babul Supriyo shown black flags, asked to go back during visit to cyclone Bulbul-ravaged areas
The Union minister was asked to go back by the protesters even when he clarified that he was in the district to look into the ground-level situation.
Kolkata: Union minister Babul Supriyo on Wednesday faced massive protests and was also shown black flags during his visit to cyclone-hit areas in West Bengal. The minister was asked to go back by a group of people when he reached South 24 Parganas to review the situation.
Supriyo, a Lok Sabha MP from Asansol claimed that the agitators were activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The minister visited the cyclone-affected areas on the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
When Supriyo reached Namkhana, one of the worst- affected areas, protesters stopped his convoy and showed him black flags.
The Union minister was asked to go back by the protesters even when he clarified that he was in the district to look into the ground-level situation.
"I knew I would face protests during my visit (to cyclone-hit areas). The agitators were all TMC activists," Supriyo said.
Earlier today, Supriyo before leaving for tour had said that his visit to the coastal areas of South 24 Parganas district should be given a political angle.
"My visit should not be viewed with a political prism. In a federal structure, I am entitled to undertake such visits... This should not be viewed as an effort to supervise or gauge the real picture - that is not possible through a day's tour,” he had said.
Cyclone Bulbul had made its landfall between Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district and Khepupara in Bangladesh on midnight of Saturday.
The cyclonic storm left a trail of destruction in the coastal districts of West Bengal before hurtling towards Bangladesh.
The storm claimed at least 14 lives in Bengal and Odisha and left thousands of people homeless besides causing a huge loss of over Rs 15,000 crore.
A team from the central government is scheduled to reach the cyclone-affected areas of West Bengal later this week and prepare a report on the devastation.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Monday conducted an aerial survey of cyclone Bulbul-ravaged areas of South 24 Parganas district and held an administrative meeting on relief and restoration operations. She had announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of each of those killed in the storm.