Two days after a video which went viral showing dead bodies being dragged from the government run Nil Ratan Sircar hospital (NRS), West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has yet again tweeted about the issue on Saturday.
“Such uncivilised and uncouth disposal of dead bodies @mamataofficial came for severe condemnation all over. Our age old traditions were mercilessly decimated by repeated dragging of dead bodies by iron hook. Urge immediate apology to society at large. Public stand of KMC Chairperson-he will not call me is unthoughful,” read the Governor’s tweet which also spoke about the Kolkata Municipal Corporation’s (KMC) allegedly lapses post cyclone Amphan.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has reacted to the statement by saying that the Governor should not attack the state government or it’s members on social media and that he is playing partisan politics.
“He could have called me. Our officers are doing good work, with their heads held high. Inquiry is on but I don’t think this big an issue. I don’t support this, but recently there is a lot of fake news that has surfaced,” said Firhad Hakim.
“In this case, the Chief Minister is not related to this, it is KMC’s responsibility. The CM and state government are not responsible for this, so don’t entangle them.”
TMC MP Nusrat Jahan also tweeted on the issue while putting out a KMC order dated 29th May which said that unclaimed bodies would be taken to Dhapa (a landfill in Kolkata) which will then be used as a cremation ground for Hindu corpses.
The Home Department of the Government of West Bengal meanwhile replied to the Governor saying that the incident was being de-contextualized and projected onto the pandemic canvas, which in turn demotivates public administration and denigrates front-line public health workers.
“GOWB respects the credo of dignity at death and while handling the COVID pandemic, it has espoused the principle by laying down transparent procedures regarding disclosure of facts, opportunities given to bereaved relatives for showing last respect to the deceased, disposal of dead bodies,” reads the reply which goes on to term the incident as a recent misinformation drive and that the bodies lying in a morgue has no relationship with the current pandemic.
