BJP protests over dengue outbreak in W Bengal

Leaders and workers of the West Bengal unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party yesterday protested against the dengue outbreak and criticised the Trinamool Congress government for alleged lack of infrastructure to tackle the disease which, they claimed, had led to over 1,000 deaths.
The protesters demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s government make public the actual number of deaths due to the disease in the state.
The protesters marched to the Swasthya Bhawan headquarters here, broke through the police barricades and rallied in front of the Health Department building to demand that officials hand over records of the actual number of people affected by dengue in West Bengal.
Some activists of the party’s Mahila Morcha put up mosquito nets on the streets and registered their protest while sitting inside.
Accusing the chief minister of trying to “mislead” the people, BJP state Mahila Morcha president Locket Chatterjee said the Trinamool Congress government should immediately ensure proper treatment of the affected and give compensation to the families of those dead.
“It is unthinkable that a chief minister is doing politics and trying to misguide people on a serious issue. As per our information, more than 1,000 persons have died of dengue in Bengal while the official figure is 38,” Chatterjee said.
“Doctors and testing laboratories have been pressed to suppress dengue cases, due to which a lot of people are not getting proper treatment. There should be no hiding of facts on medical reports,” the BJP leader demanded.
“Rs2 lakh is given to families of those who die in hooch tragedies. Why not something for dengue victims as well? The chief minister should consider some compensation in the form of jobs or financial assistance for families of those who die of dengue,” she added.
State government reports say more than 30 people have died due to mosquito-borne disease, while over 14,500 have been affected.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, however, claimed it has been effectively able to control the spread of the disease and alleged a “deliberate attempt” at misinformation about its tackling dengue.