Business · India Bureau
TMC MP escalates water crisis complaint to UN rights chief
A Trinamool Congress MP has written to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights alleging discriminatory water supply cuts in a Kolkata Muslim-majority locality. Samirul Islam claims the civic authority's action targets residents based on religious identity.
LSN India ·
Rajya Sabha MP Samirul Islam has escalated allegations of discriminatory water supply practices in Kolkata's Jyoti Nagar Colony to international human rights authorities. In his communication to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Islam contended that drinking water supply to the residential area was severed following political changes in state governance.
The TMC MP alleged that the water disconnection disproportionately affects Muslim residents of the colony. "The supply was cut off because residents are not considered part of the ruling party's electoral base," Islam stated, linking the civic action to communal considerations rather than administrative or infrastructural concerns.
The allegations reflect ongoing tensions over municipal service delivery in West Bengal's capital, where questions about equitable resource allocation have periodically surfaced. The complaint to the UN underscore concerns about whether essential services are being administered impartially across different communities.
The TMC has previously accused state authorities of implementing policies with communal undertones. Islam's approach of seeking international intervention represents an escalation beyond domestic political channels, potentially signaling the seriousness with which the party regards the allegations.