Mamata Banerjee steps up attack over SIR after second suicide in Bengal; BJP responds

In a post on X, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the BJP and its allies for creating the fear psychosis that led to these “avoidable, politically inflicted tragedies”

Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday intensified her attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after a 95-year-old man from Birbhum district allegedly died by suicide, with his family linking his death to the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.

In a detailed post on X later, Banerjee blamed the BJP and its allies for creating the fear psychosis that led to these “avoidable, politically inflicted tragedies.” (PTI)

“He was scared of losing his land and property as his name does not figure in the 2002 electoral roll,” the man’s granddaughter told reporters on Thursday morning. This was the second suicide linked to the Election Commission of India’s plans to conduct the exercise in the state.

In a detailed post on X later, Banerjee blamed the BJP and its allies for creating the fear psychosis that led to these “avoidable, politically inflicted tragedies.”

“On October 27, 57-year-old .... of Khardaha (North 24 Parganas district) died by suicide, leaving a note that read, NRC is responsible for my death. On October 28, a 63-year-old man from Dinhata, Cooch Behar attempted to take his life, terrified of harassment under the SIR process. And today, 95-year-old .... from Kotwali, Paschim Medinipur living with his daughter in Ilambazar, Birbhum ended his life, gripped by the fear that he and his family might be dispossessed of their land,” she said.

“Who will answer for these avoidable, politically inflicted tragedies? Will the Home Minister accept responsibility? Will the BJP and its allies, under whose watch this fear psychosis has spread, find the courage to speak out?” Banerjee added.

The Birbhum police said the man’s body was found hanging in his bedroom on Thursday morning. His neighbours claimed that he had migrated from Bangladesh at least 30 years ago.

Two deaths by suicide and another attempt in three days have stirred controversy over the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.

The BJP, which has claimed that at least millions of Muslim Bangladeshi infiltrators enjoying voting rights in Bengal would be detected during the SIR exercise, found itself in a tight spot as both men who died by suicide were Hindus. Although a census has not been conducted since 2011, the state’s current population is projected to be around 100 million.

“Mamata Banerjee is creating panic among people by telling lies. This Birbhum man died by suicide possibly because of a family dispute or financial crisis,” Bengal BJP unit’s former president Rahul Sinha said.

BJP national IT unit chief Amit Malviya argued that the deceased had no reason to be afraid as he was protected by the CAA.

“Why would a 95-year-old man, born in 1930 and an Indian by birth, take his own life over SIR? Even if, by any logic, he was not an Indian citizen post-Partition and later migrated to India, he was automatically eligible for Indian citizenship under the CAA, being a Hindu....The man lived in Ilambazar, a TMC bastion where harassment by local leaders is rampant,” Malviya wrote.

The family of the first suicide victim from North 24 Parganas filed a police complaint on Thursday saying the victim was provoked and influenced. The complaint did not name anyone, police said.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited the victim’s family on Wednesday and alleged that Union home minister Amit Shah and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar were responsible for the death. TMC held a protest rally on Thursday in the area where the man lived.

The chief minister intensified her attack after the death in Birbhum district. “For generations, the people of Bengal have lived with dignity. Today they are being forced to ask whether they still belong to the land of their birth. This cruelty is unconscionable and must not be allowed to stand,” she wrote on X.

“I appeal to every citizen: Do not be provoked, do not lose faith, and do not take any extreme step. Our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar stands with you. We will not allow the NRC to be implemented in Bengal—neither through the front door, nor through the back door. We will not permit a single legitimate citizen to be branded an ‘outsider,’” she added.

In the midst of the row, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh alleged that thousands of names that existed in the 2002 electoral roll have disappeared.

“I urge citizens to be on the alert. BJP has started its silent rigging,” Ghosh said.

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.

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