Kolkata: Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday blamed the BJP and sections of the media for the suicide of former West Bengal Minister and ex-Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee.
Referring to the suicide note recovered along with the deceased leader’s body, Abhishek claimed that the statements in the note reflected the impact of what he described as baseless allegations amplified by the BJP and a section of the media.
He said the final note raised “serious and troubling questions” about the alleged smear campaign faced by Asish Banerjee and urged those involved to reflect on the consequences of their words and actions.
‘Politics and Journalism Should Have Boundaries’
Abhishek described the death as heartbreaking and said it should trouble the conscience of those who believe that politics and journalism should have boundaries.
He said Asish Banerjee, a lifelong teacher and public servant, had devoted decades to serving people with honesty and simplicity and was a respected figure in Rampurhat and Birbhum district.
“My deepest condolences to his family, students, admirers and well-wishers. May God give them strength in this hour of unimaginable grief,” Abhishek said in his post.
Suicide Note Mentions Political Career
In a one-page handwritten suicide note in Bengali, Asish Banerjee reportedly wrote that he regretted entering politics and maintained that he had never been involved in corruption during his political career.
He wrote that he had been involved in politics since his student days and had served as general secretary of the students’ union at Burdwan University.
The note also stated that although there had been political disagreements, they had not previously turned into hostility. He further claimed that he had never taken money in exchange for any work.