The Trinamool hit back at Amit Shah minutes after the Union home minister attacked the Bengal government over deaths in the fire at two godowns in Anandapur on the outskirts of Kolkata.
Shah, at a BJP workers’ meeting in Barrackpore near Kolkata, had asked if the Mamata Banerjee government “would show the same indifference” if the victims of the fire “were from a particular community”, and questioned why the owners of the godowns had not been arrested.
Bengal education minister Bratya Basu said chief minister Mamata Banerjee had already taken responsibility for the affected families.
"The CM herself has taken responsibility for the affected families and personally handed over compensation. However, several questions are being raised. Allow me to place some facts on record," Basu said.
He cited similar incidents outside Bengal to challenge the BJP’s criticism.
"In April 2025, a similar fire incident at a godown/factory in Disa district of Gujarat claimed 21 lives. Both the Centre and the State jointly announced compensation. The prime minister declared Rs 2 lakh each for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 each for the injured from the National Relief Fund. The state government also made additional promises. However, it later emerged that nearly 50 per cent of the affected families did not receive the promised compensation, forcing them to approach the Supreme Court," Basu said.
He cited another case from Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer in October 2025 in which 22 people were killed in a bus fire.
The Rajasthan High Court, Basu pointed out, had sharply criticised the state for failing to ensure that half of the families received the compensation announced by the government.
"They have every right to criticise us, but these are questions they must also be asked. In MP’s Harda, a blast caused by firecrackers killed 13 people. The government announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh per family. However, local media in Madhya Pradesh reported that many families had not received the amount even after 12 months," he said.
Basu said the focus should remain on accountability across states.
“I have cited these three fire-related incidents to show how the respective governments treated the affected families poorly, compelling them to seek judicial intervention. Therefore, honourable home minister, instead of trying to find loopholes in Bengal, please put your own house in order.”
He also referred to incidents in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
"We all know what happened in UP during the Kumbh. Why was the Allahabad High Court compelled to intervene and question why the affected families were yet to receive compensation?
“In November 2025, what happened near Delhi’s Red Fort? How many affected families have received compensation so far? Why are newspapers in Delhi reporting that the majority of families are still awaiting compensation? Why are these questions not being raised there? And why has the prime minister not conducted any press conference on these issues?” Basu added.
He also hit back at Shah’s assertion that the special intensive revision (SIR) underway in Bengal would weed out “infiltrators” and accused the Trinamool of backing illegal immigrants.
“The BJP's lies on infiltration stand completely exposed,” Basu said.
“In Malda, their own Booth President Ujjwal Roy has been arrested for sheltering a Bangladeshi national. Roy, resident of Booth No. 177 in Agra Harishchandrapur under Baidyapur Gram Panchayat of Habibpur, was remanded to three days of police custody by Malda district court. He is also accused of involvement in smuggling.
“If infiltration is happening, as BJP keeps shrieking, then it's being facilitated under Amit Shah's watch. He controls border security. He runs the home ministry. This mess belongs to him. Period,” he added.
He said the IR exercise “has become a death sentence for ordinary citizens. Over 140 people have died due to the SIR. Elderly citizens, differently abled persons and patients are being harassed and forced to travel long distances for hearings. Many are denied their rightful citizenship despite having valid documents,” he added.
TMC leader Partha Bhowmick said the timing of Shah’s comments reflected a familiar election pattern.
“From post-2021 until just before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, neither the prime minister nor the home minister found the time to visit Bengal. They returned to Bengal ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, and now once again ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. This clearly shows that they remember Bengal only when elections are around.”