Accusing the BJP of politicising the issue, Banerjee vehemently defended her Trinamool Congress (TMC) government's actions in addressing the reported cases of sexual abuse.

On Wednesday, tensions flared as villagers confronted block officials over the distribution of relief materials, which they deemed woefully inadequate given the scale of the crisis.

Senior BJP leader and MP Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday claimed that "TMC leaders are happy that the storm has struck Jalpaiguri before the elections, as they can profit from the distribution of relief materials." 

Severe hailstorms, accompanied by heavy rainfall, wreaked havoc across various parts of north Bengal on Sunday.

Among the worst affected areas were Rajarhat, Barnish, Bakali, Jorpakdi, Madhabdanga, and Saptibari, where several acres of agricultural land and crops suffered significant damages.