TMC Feels The Heat, As Bengal Momo Godown Fire Triggers Pre-Poll Blame-Game

The massive fire at a godown in Kolkata’s Anandapur has sent shockwaves across the country where the exact death toll still continues to be an elusive figure. According to reports, 25 people died while many are still feared missing in the fire. The incident has triggered intense political tremors, with the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government under the scanner. The opposition camp in the state has taken to the streets to actively voice against the loss of lives owing to gross mismanagement and alleged negligence that reduced the warehouses to rubble. Numerous protests took place across numerous districts in the state, as investigations continue with numerous unanswered questions dangling on the face.

According to reports,  the fire broke out at around 3 am in a warehouse owned by Pushpanjali Decorators on Monday, and quickly spread to the adjacent warehouse operated by quick service restaurant chain Wow! Momo. Following the arrest of the warehouse’s owner, Gangadhar Das, the police also detained Wow! Momo’s warehouse’s manager Raja Chakraborty and deputy manager Manoranjan Sheet on Friday in connection to the deadly fire that gutted the warehouses, reportedly killing 25, including three inside the fast-food chain’s warehouse. 

Wow! Momo had earlier issued a statement saying the fire spread from the adjoining godown to theirs due to unauthorised cooking, resulting in the deaths of two of their employees and a security guard. The company also announced a lump-sum payment of ₹10 lakh per affected family, a lifetime monthly salary for the bereaved, and full educational support for the child in the family. Following CM Mamata Banerjee’s announcement of Rs 10 lakh compensation and civic volunteer jobs for one member each from the family of those killed in the Anandapur fire, the PMO issued a statement on Friday announcing an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

However, the incident has hit a raw nerve owing to its sheer magnitude and the understated response from the state government. Fire Minister Sujit Bose visited the site more than 32 hours later, while numerous restrictions have been placed by the police to avoid any interference with the forensic searches going on. 

The CPI(M) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) took out numerous protests accusing the ruling dispensation in the state of ‘institutional murder’ and criminal negligence. Speaking to Outlook, Ratan Bagchi, secretary, CPI(M) South 24 Paraganas and member of the CITU state working committee, alleged that the nexus between the business magnate, goons and the senior TMC officials in the state is the primary reason behind the incident. “We visited the place and there were no safety protocols in place. Charred bones were being brought in bags. What is shocking is the fact that the manager locked the godown from outside every night to prevent the workers from leaving and protecting the stocks inside the storage unit,” said Bagchi. Members of the party and the organisation visited the kin of the victims, most of whom were from neighbouring districts like Purba Medinipur.

Bagchi said the party will continue with the protest till strong punitive measures are taken against people in the administration and government. Nazirabad in Anandapur, where the godowns are situated, fall in the East Kolkata Wetlands area, under the East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority (EKWMA). Questions have been raised on how the godowns were allowed to be built at the site where no construction is allowed. The Left parties in the state and environmentalists have long pressed on the impact of urban expansion into the area and the issue of illegal encroachment on the wetlands, designated an ‘internationally important wetland’ by the Ramsar convention, an international treaty. “We reiterate the need for immediate measures to preserve the 12500 hectares of East Kolkata Wetlands. The Mamata Banerjee government has continued to illegally encroach and convert these areas into makeshift godowns and facilities in collusion with local goons and promoters,” Bagchi said. He further added that gross negligence and unmitigated expansion under the watch of the authorities can contribute to more such cases, as numerous illegal projects continue to mushroom in these vulnerable areas.

State Fire Minister Sujit Bose and the Director General of the Fire Department, Ranveer Kumar, had confirmed after visiting the site that the godown was operating without any fire-safety measures and did not have any clearance certificate from the department. 

The BJP has also capitalised on the incident to launch barbs aimed at the TMC government in the state. Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in Bengal, questioned why the owners of Wow! Momo have not been arrested yet implying that TMC had vested interests in the company. “Why did this incident happen? Whose money is invested in this Momo factory? Who are the owners of the Momo factory? With whom have the owners of the Momo factory travelled abroad on flights? And why hasn’t the owner of the Momo factory been arrested yet?” he said.

The tragedy has already become an explosive flashpoint in poll-bound Bengal as the TMC hit back at the BJP - questioning the timing of BJP’s comments, communal remarks, and the top brass’ frequent visits to the state. Political observers believe the scale of the incident is certain to play a massive role in affecting popular opinion in the days to come.