West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday over the issue of dead bodies being dragged from the Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) hospital morgue with a pair of tongs.
The Governor says that there is no information from the state administration and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Chairperson, on the decomposed dead bodies which surfaced in a video that went viral a few days ago. The video was believed to be of COVID-19 patients dragged from the morgue.
The state administration and the KMC had denied the allegations of the bodies belonging to COVID-19 patients and said these were unclaimed bodies as seen in the video. The KMC ordered a probe into the matter since the Governor was not satisfied with the reply. The Governor has maintained there should be dignity at death even if the bodies were not those of COVID-19 patients or even if they were unclaimed bodies.
“The unfortunate diversionary tactics that 14 dead bodies were not COVID-afflicted is inconsequential, though probe on that is surely called for. The core issue agitating people’s minds is-How can civilisation be so tainted and humanity shamed by callous treatment to the dead bodies! Every provision of the KMC Act has been violated. You are well aware about the sanctity we attach to cremation of dead bodies, the rituals performed,” said the Governor in his letter.
The Governor then goes on to say people ask him what his stance would be if one of the 14 dead bodies happened to be of his friends or relatives, which the Governor says, leaves him speechless. The Governor suggests that he and the Chief Minister together tender a public apology.
“It is time for both of us, to soothe surcharged feelings of the people by making a public apology. Appropriate directions at your end need to emanate to the concerned to make available the details sought without delay. Since in this monumental lapse accountability also rests with KMC, it’s Board Chairperson be directed to personally update me,” he added.
The state administration is yet to react to this letter. However, while the KMC had ordered a probe into the incident, Mayor Firhad Hakim also said that it was not the onus of the Chief Minister but of the KMC. Constant reminders by the Governor is making things uncomfortable for the KMC and the Chief Minister.
