Migrant Worker’s Death in Tamil Nadu Sparks Political Row in Bengal Over SIR Fears

November 2, 2025

Kolkata: The death of a migrant worker from West Bengal in Tamil Nadu has triggered a fresh political controversy, with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleging that fear over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s voter list led to the tragedy.

Worker Dies After Falling Ill in Tamil Nadu

The deceased, Bimal Santra (51), a resident of Nabagram in Jamalpur, East Burdwan district, had gone to Tamil Nadu for work. According to his family, he fell ill on October 26 and was admitted to a hospital, where he died on Thursday while undergoing treatment.

His body was brought back to his village on Saturday evening, bringing deep grief to the community.

Family Links Death to Fear of Voter List Revision

Bimal’s son, Bapi Santra, claimed that his father had been worried after hearing about the SIR exercise being conducted in West Bengal by the Election Commission.
He said, “My father was worried about whether his name would remain on the voter list once the SIR was implemented. He kept saying that repeatedly. He fell ill from the stress and died.”

Bapi also filed a case of unnatural death at the Orathanadu police station in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

TMC Leaders Visit Family, Blame EC and Centre

After the news broke, Trinamool leaders, following instructions from party MP Abhishek Banerjee, visited the bereaved family to express solidarity.

Local MLA Alok Kumar Majhi said that the suspension of MGNREGA work in Bengal by the Centre forced many people to migrate for livelihood. “Bimal was one of them, and he was also deeply worried about SIR,” he said.

State Minister Swapan Debnath, who also visited the family, alleged, “Another suicide has occurred due to the fear of SIR. The Election Commission is responsible for this panic.”

Pattern of Fear-Linked Suicides, Says Trinamool

The TMC has been highlighting a series of alleged suicides linked to the fear of SIR and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Recent incidents include:

• Pradeep Kar of Panihati (North 24 Parganas), who allegedly left a suicide note mentioning SIR fears.

• Khairul Sheikh of Dinhata (Cooch Behar), who reportedly attempted suicide by consuming poison.

• An unnamed elderly man from Ilambazar (Birbhum) who allegedly took his life over similar fears.

BJP Denies Link Between Death and SIR

However, the BJP has refuted the Trinamool’s claims.
Pradhan Chandra Pal, BJP’s Jamalpur-1 Mandal President, said, “Any death is tragic, but linking this to SIR is politically motivated. Bimal did not die because of fear. Trinamool is misusing the incident to spread misinformation after losing ground in the area.”