Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari targets the West Bengal government by claiming that it is deliberately suppressing Covid-19 data and compromising public health transparency. Addressing a press conference on Friday, the BJP MLA claimed that the state’s official Covid-19 portal has become “practically inactive”, and daily updates on case numbers have been discontinued without explanation.
“The way dengue data is being withheld, the Covid situation is also being obscured in a similar fashion. This is a clear attempt to hide the truth from the people,” Suvendu alleged.
According to the latest figures available from central sources, West Bengal currently ranks third in the country in terms of the number of active Covid-19 cases. The total number of patients has crossed 500, yet the opposition claims there has been a glaring lack of communication from the state’s health department.
Suvendu further claimed that in at least one district (name not disclosed), Covid data entry has come to a complete halt. "This is not merely an administrative lapse; it reflects a serious disregard for the health and safety of ordinary citizens,” he said.
While urging citizens to remain calm, he clarified that he had no intention of causing panic, but emphasised that the state’s reluctance to share accurate Covid data amounts to negligence and could erode public trust in the government’s health response.
Concerns over the state’s Covid transparency have grown further following the death of a 47-year-old woman at a private hospital in Alipore, Kolkata. The woman, who had been on ventilation support, succumbed to her illness earlier this week. Her death certificate listed Covid-19 infection as one of the causes, along with co-morbidities including cardiac and renal complications, and septic shock.
While the state government has not yet officially commented on Adhikari’s allegations, the issue has reignited debates over health data transparency in West Bengal. In light of the rising number of cases and the recent fatality, public health experts are urging proactive communication and clarity from government authorities.
The lack of daily updates and growing suspicion around data suppression may further deepen the political standoff between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition BJP—especially as pandemic preparedness remains a key concern in densely populated states like West Bengal.
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