A frenetic exchange of fire kept Bengal’s political battlefield on the boil over the Rituraj Hotel blaze, as the Opposition hauled the Mamata Banerjee government over the coals and her party insisted everything that needed to be done was done.

After the hotel fire at Mechhua’s Falpatty in Calcutta claimed at least 14 lives since Tuesday night, CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty drew parallels between the attitudes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after Pahalgam and the Bengal chief minister — at Digha for the consecration ceremony of the Jagannath Dham — after this fire.

“While the incidents cannot be compared, the similarity in mindset must be underscored. The Prime Minister gave the all-party meeting a miss and prioritised the Bihar poll campaign. After 14 people died in a fire in Calcutta, the chief minister… the sea, the sand, Digha… festival? That was her priority?” he asked.

“The Prime Minister’s activities show how this nation is being run. Similarly, the chief minister’s activities show how this state is being run. Similar, near-identical,” he added. “Sensitivity, not in the least…. Their priorities aren’t the people or the administration, but something else.”

Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar attacked Mamata. “… the ruling party @AITCofficial and Chief Minister herself is desperately trying to cover up their overall failure! It is being promoted that the Chief Minister of the state supposedly stayed awake all night in Digha to supervise everything! But the real tragedy for the people of the state is that the failed Chief Minister—despite being so-called humane—could not even make it to Kolkata. Even the failed Fire Minister (Sujit Bose) remained seated by the sea in Digha!” posted Majumdar on X.

“Kolkata has a long, grim history of deadly fires. After countless lives have been lost and everything destroyed, every time, the failed West Bengal government under @MamataOfficial has shed crocodile tears!” added the junior Union minister. “Yet again, ahead of the elections, the Chief Minister is engrossed in the dangerous politics of religion, while the safety of innocent citizens of the state goes to hell! For the failed Chief Minister, festivals, fairs, and spectacles come above all else! Shame!”

Bengal Congress spokesperson Soumya Aich Roy alleged an epidemic of illegal construction in the state. “Lawlessness is the law of this land under Trinamool Congress. Both their state government and their civic body have given legitimacy to the illegitimate and rendered the licit, illicit,” he said.

“Fire after fire after fire in this city, everyone from the mayor to the chief minister is busy prioritising politics or inauguration of places of worship. The buck stops with her…. and how inhumane (the ruling dispensation) can they be? They were sitting 150km away...,” he added. “...People are mere electoral numbers, and the people’s safety is not at all a priority… for this ruling dispensation.”

TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh called the fire utterly tragic, but insisted Mamata did all she was supposed to from Digha. “The chief minister has been monitoring from Digha through the night. Police and fire services were given all necessary instructions. Ministers Aroop Biswas and Sujit Bose were active (from Digha). Mayor (and minister) Firhad Hakim and minister Shashi Panja went to the spot in Calcutta,” said Ghosh, adding many lives were saved by the alacrity of the police and fire services.