Hooghly, 09 April (H.S.): Amid the ongoing political debate over fish in West Bengal, Bhaskar Bhattacharya, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Serampore, on Thursday hit back at statements made by the Trinamool Congress.

Bhattacharya visited a local fish market in Serampore and purchased fish to convey the message that there would be no ban on fish or meat consumption if the BJP comes to power. He alleged that Mamata Banerjee and her party are misleading people to gain electoral advantage.

He further stated that the central government is running a ₹6,000 crore project from 2024 to 2027 to promote the fisheries sector, under which fish traders are being provided loans at concessional interest rates along with credit facilities. “If there was any intention to ban fish, such schemes would not have been introduced,” he asserted.

During his visit, Bhattacharya also highlighted local civic issues. Targeting the Serampore Municipality over waterlogging near the fish market, he staged a symbolic protest by releasing fish into a waterlogged lane to expose the poor drainage system.

He said that even normal rainfall leads to waterlogging in the area, reflecting the failure of the civic body. According to Bhattacharya, claims of development in the state remain largely on paper, while people continue to face basic infrastructure problems on the ground.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey