The comment by a senior official of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) created a political controversy on Thursday (September 25, 2025) after the death of at least nine people due to waterlogging due to heavy rains in Kolkata and the current of electricity. The official commented that stepping on the submerged roads is similar to ‘suicide’.
At least 11 people died in the torrential rains in the city and surrounding areas on the morning of 23 September. Nine of these deaths occurred in Kolkata and in two surrounding areas. In KMC, in -charge of drainage and member of Mayor Congress Council and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Tarak Singh said that citizens should be cautious and avoid going to flood areas, where electric poles pose a risk of short circuit.
BJP attacked about controversial remarks
Singh told reporters, “When we all know that going to the submerged roads can cause short circuit and due to this death can also occur, even if someone comes down in it, it is like committing suicide.” Opposition parties strongly criticized this comment and accused the ruling TMC of being insensitive.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Councilor Sajal Ghosh made fun of Singh’s comment, saying, “With this argument, Mayor Firhad Hakim should be arrested first, because he was seen walking in water to his knees with an umbrella in his hand, did he also attempts to commit suicide?”
CPI will kill deaths
Marxist Communist Party (CPI -M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty called these deaths as ‘suicide, murder’ and blamed the state government, KMC and power company for this. He said, ‘This is an excellent example of human -borne disaster and many people lost their lives due to the negligence and disability of the administration.’
Suman Rai Chaudhary, spokesman of the state unit of the Congress, also called Singh’s remarks ‘shameless rescue’. On the other hand, senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee held a meeting with former Kolkata Mayor Sowan Chatterjee on Thursday.
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