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Updated: May 04, 2019 20:56 IST

Even before West Bengal could recover from the effects of the cyclone Fani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s concern for the state’s affected people landed him in the crosshairs of the ruling Trinamool Congress on Saturday.

Modi called up Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and expressed his concern and directly asked Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to prepare a report.

The fact Modi did not call up chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the Union government did not contact the state, did not go down well with the TMC leadership.

Alleging that the Prime Minister bypassed the state government, Trinamool secretary general and minister Partha Chatterjee said, “This is the biggest example of indecency. In a federal structural a state government has its own position and rights. The Modi government never respected that.”

Dropping a hint that he suspects that the Centre may not grant the amount the state will be asking for, Chatterjee said, “In the past, other states got the money they asked for after devastating floods but Bengal was deprived.”

The BJP dismissed the TMC’s apprehensions over Modi asking the governor directly for a report.

“Even before the cyclone hit us, the Prime Minister announced funds for all states that were likely to be affected. These talks are unnecessary,” said Jay Prakash Majumdar, Bengal BJP vice president.

The Prime Minister on Saturday called up governor Tripathi and sought a report on the damage inflicted by the cyclone.

Tripathi did not waste time and visited some cyclone-affected areas at Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas.

“The Prime Minister felt extremely concerned about the situation. He wanted to know if there is a need for more funds or central assistance. He wanted to know the extent of the damage. I have come here to see that,” Tripathi told reporters at Kakdwip.

Asked whether any report has been sought from the state government, Tripathi said, “No report from the state has been sought yet. I have come here to talk to the district administration. They said they do not need additional funds right now.”

Mamata Banerjee was in West and East Midnapore districts, the most affected ones in the state. She camped at Kharagpur for election campaign and sought damage reports from the district administration. However, she kept silent on Modi calling up the governor. “We will help people rebuild their houses. The administration will start repairing roads and electrical installations,” Banerjee said.