It was Bedlam at the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday after Left Front members protested a minister's statement blaming the CPI(M) for spreading rumours that water of the Dangoria plant in South 24-Parganas district had been poisoned.
PHE Minister Subrata Mukherjee said a rumour was being spread since last night that water in the Dangoria plant of the Dangoria Arsenic Free Project, had been poisoned.
He said those spreading the rumours urged people not to drink or even touch the water from the plant, which reaches 15 lakh people across nine blocks.
Pointing out that the constituencies of Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay and Deputy Speaker Sonali Guha were also served by the plant, Mukherjee said after consulting them, he sent a team of engineers to the plant and had the water tested in the state-of-the-art PHE laboratory.
The water was found to be safe after examination, he said, adding that people of the area were informed through mobile loudspeakers about the safety of the water and the district administration and police have also been alerted.
Mukherjee said he had information that the rumour was being spread by the CPI(M).
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At this, Left Front members were on their feet, demanding that Mukherjee's statement blaming the CPI(M) be expunged.
Describing the statement from the Treasury Bench, in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as "irresponsible", Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra also demanded that the statement be expunged.