Chingrighata flyover skid scare: Bikes fall, anti-skid blocks installed overnight as Bengal Minister Agnimitra Paul faces criticism

The road surface has also been made less smooth to improve traction and reduce the risk of skidding.

Initially, a section of netizens dismissed the viral video of the incidents as AI-generated.

However, the footage was later found to be authentic, prompting the administration to take corrective measures.

Agnimitra Paul faces criticism over road painting

Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Agnimitra Paul, who was instrumental in introducing the rainbow-coloured road markings, has come under fire over the decision.

Speaking to the media, Paul said the administration would investigate the cause of the skidding incidents.

She also questioned how such accidents could occur despite the use of anti-skid paint.

"I have been hearing that some riders are dazzled by the colours. We are looking into it. If the colours are causing problems, alternative actions would be taken," she told News18 Bangla.

Several flyover stretches were painted in rainbow colours as part of the government's initiative to decorate parts of Kolkata for the Durga Puja festivities.

Commuters, opposition question the initiative

The initiative has drawn criticism from daily commuters, who have questioned the need for such decorative road markings while complaining about potholes and dysfunctional streetlights that have affected the city for months.

Opposition parties have also taken sarcastic digs at the government, particularly Paul, who has faced repeated trolling over her initiatives since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed its first government in West Bengal in May 2026.

Following the motorcycle-skidding incidents, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra took a swipe at the government in a post on X.

"Elect an idiot. Get a circus. Enjoy," she wrote.

CPI-M leader draws parallel with Mamata Banerjee

CPI(M) leader Shatarup Ghosh also criticised Paul, drawing a parallel between the minister's initiatives and what he described as the whimsical approach of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

"People paint walls and homes but this government has painted the road surface! We can't expect sensibility from the BJP," Shatarup said.