Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee linked the death of 57-year-old Pradeep Kar from Panihati to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and fears surrounding a possible NRC (National Register of Citizens) exercise.
Banerjee accused the BJP and the Election Commission of creating an atmosphere of fear that, he alleged, drove Kar to suicide.
After visiting Kar’s grieving family, Banerjee directly blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for the “climate of panic” in Bengal.
“Kar died due to anxiety over NRC and SIR. An FIR should be filed against Shah and Kumar,” Banerjee told reporters, adding that both leaders should themselves try producing their parents’ documents before asking others to do so.
He was accompanied by MPs Partha Bhowmick and Nirmal Ghosh, along with TMC youth leader Debraj Chakraborty during the visit.
Call to Confront BJP Leaders
Later addressing supporters, Banerjee urged people to resist BJP leaders demanding legacy documents.
“Next time local BJP leaders come to your area, stop them and ask them to show their parents’ certificates. Tie them to a tree or a post and tell them they won’t be released until they produce their parents’ and grandparents’ documents,” he said.
Banerjee clarified that his remarks were not a call for violence, saying, “Don’t hit them — just tie them up if they ask for your parents’ birth certificates.”
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TMC leaders claimed that a handwritten note found near Kar’s body showed his fear over the documentation requirements tied to SIR and a possible NRC rollout.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also accused the BJP of “weaponising NRC” to spread fear in Bengal.
The BJP, however, rejected the TMC’s claims, stating that SIR is a routine voter roll revision carried out nationwide.
“The cause of Kar’s death should be determined by investigators, not political parties. TMC is exploiting a tragedy for political mileage,” a BJP spokesperson said.
Citizenship Debate Returns to Bengal Politics
The incident has reignited Bengal’s contentious citizenship and documentation debate, with both sides sharpening their rhetoric ahead of the next electoral battle.
Observers note that the clash over NRC and electoral verification could become a major political flashpoint between the TMC-led state government and the BJP-led Centre in the coming months.
