A political row has erupted in West Bengal after a video surfaced allegedly showing state minister Sujit Bose and his entourage dining on a boat while surveying flood-affected areas in Ratuya, Malda district. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) of insensitivity towards those suffering due to widespread flooding across the state.

The BJP’s central minister and former state president, Sukanta Majumdar, shared the video on social media, criticising the TMC for allegedly turning a flood inspection into what he called a “monsoon picnic.” “At a time when children are dying in flooded homes and the state is in deep distress, this is how West Bengal’s ruling party leaders choose to respond,” Majumdar posted on X (formerly Twitter), alongside footage purportedly showing ministers and officials seated in a boat with plates and food. Parallel News Digital could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. “Is this the TMC’s new flood inspection model?” Majumdar added. “While large parts of Ratuya remain submerged and people suffer, TMC leaders and government officials are busy celebrating on a government boat, with crockery neatly arranged.” Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari also hit out at the government, alleging it was indulging in “disaster-time tokenism and philanthropy politics.” “The TMC is preparing for election freebies, but has no arrangement to clear waterlogging. The civic system has collapsed,” Adhikari said. “A six-month-old infant had to pay the price with her life.” The TMC has yet to issue an official response to the allegations. Several districts in West Bengal have been experiencing severe flooding following incessant rainfall, with reports of waterlogging, displacement, and infrastructure strain in urban and rural areas alike.