Fani: Mamata Banerjee cancels poll rallies for 48 hrs

Kolkata: Cancelling her Lok Sabha election campaign rallies in face of cyclone Fani, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has urged all to shun politics and work together for rescue and relief of the affected people. Her move came hours after PM Modi’s upcoming rally in two districts, which are among the eight districts on the cyclone’s target, in the state, was postponed by a day.

Late on Thursday night, the state BJP informed that Mr Modi’s rally at Tamluk in East Midnapore and Jhargram, which were scheduled to be held on May 5, was postponed to May 6. On Friday morning, Ms Mamata tweeted, “Have cancelled my rallies for the next 48 hours because of what could be an impending disaster  #CyclonicStormFANI. We are monitoring the situation 24x7. I appeal to all people to cooperate. Be alert, take care and stay safe for the next two days.”

She later told a Bengali news channel, “We now need all to work together leaving politics to keep people safe. I am at Kharagpur in West Midnapore because I had programmes today, tomorrow and day after tomorrow. But I have cancelled all of my programmes because of the emergency situation. ”

The Trinamul chief added, “Stationed at a central place like Kharagpur, I can monitor the situation in East and West Midnapore, Jhargram, Howrah and Hooghly. I have asked Kolkata mayor Firhad Hakim to cancel his programmes and work with the disaster management team. We have already set up a 24x7 disaster management cell led by the chief secretary with all the departments. I appeal the people to not to worry.”

Meanwhile West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi asserted that the Centre and the governments of Odisha and West Bengal have been trying its best to help the people. “This is a natural calamity. I believe the Central government and governments of West Bengal and Odisha are doing everything possible to prevent the loss and trying to help the affected people,” he said on the sidelines of a programme in the city.

State disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan said, “37,920 people have been evacuated from East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly till 2.30 pm to safer places. Of them, 22,000 people were from East Midnapore. We are trying to convince those, reluctant to shift, about the danger.”

National Disaster Response Force deputy commandant S.S. Khatri informed that three teams have been deployed in East Midnapore with two teams each in West Midnapore and North 24 Parganas and one each in Jhargram and South 24 Parganas.