'India's Most Callous Team Visiting Bengal To Spread Political Virus': TMC Slams IMCT

The ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday described the two inter-ministerial central teams (IMCT) visiting West Bengal to assess the COVID-19 situation as "India's Most Callous Team", which, it said, has sought to spread the political virus "shamelessly".

The central teams have been visiting hospitals and quarantine centres and meeting officials in Kolkata and Siliguri.

"As expected, IMCT's visit to #Bengal has served no purpose. Visiting districts with no hotspots, asking #Bengal for audit committee, already been in place since early April," TMCs leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek OBrien said in a tweet.

"Their real aim is to spread the political virus. They are doing it shamelessly, Blatantly. Take your pick, IMCT = India's Most Callous Team IMCT = I Must Cause Trouble (in Bengal)," he tweeted.

On the other hand, the two central teams have alleged non-cooperation from the West Bengal government over providing logistical support and other relevant information.

In a letter to Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha, the inter-ministerial central team led by senior bureaucrat Apurba Chandra, also sought to know details about steps taken by the Mamata Banerjee-led dispensation to identify and quarantine those who returned from the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area.

Chandra said the team it is yet to receive a response from the state government to the letters it has written to Sinha since its arrival in the city on Monday.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had earlier slammed the Centre for sending the teams to look into the state's preparedness for tackling the COVID-19 outbreak and alleged that faulty testing kits were dispatched to the state.