NEW DELHI: Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy faced criticism from West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) after calling Kolkata a “garbage city”, which termed the remark as “insensitive.” The party also invited him to visit the city to see its cleanliness and development for himself.
Reddy made the comment Thursday in Hyderabad while discussing pollution in major Indian cities. He referenced Union Minister Nitin Gadkari reportedly avoiding Delhi due to pollution. Reddy questioned Delhi’s livability and mentioned traffic in Bengaluru, flooding in Chennai, and Mumbai’s vulnerability to heavy rains.
He wondered “whether Delhi is still a livable city.”
“Similarly, you have seen traffic jams in Bengaluru. You have seen the situation of using boats if it rains in Chennai. You are watching the situation of being washed away in Mumbai,” Reddy said.
He then said about Kolkata: “I don’t have to tell you about Kolkata. The situation is such that Kolkata would stand first if it competes among garbage cities in the world.”
The TMC strongly objected to the statement.
Party spokesperson Riju Dutta called it “insensitive” and highlighted Kolkata’s cultural and developmental progress.
“His remarks are insensitive. Kolkata is the City of Joy and the cultural capital of India. The city is developing rapidly. I would suggest that he take some time to visit Kolkata and see for himself how clean and beautiful the city is,” Dutta said.
Echoing similar sentiments, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Dola Sen dismissed Reddy’s comment as baseless.
“We don’t want to respond to such unfounded claims. Kolkata is one of the cleanest cities in the country,” Sen said.
