The suicide of West Bengal Assembly Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee on Sunday has sparked a major blame game between the BJP and the Mamata camp of the TMC over the possible reasons behind the leader's untimely death.
The five-time MLA's body had been found hanging inside a TMC office near his residence in the Rampurhat area of the Birbhum district, alongside a purported suicide note, urging that no one was to be held responsible for his death.
TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee condoled the death in an X post, calling out the "immense mental and emotional strain" that he allegedly faced in his final days.
"The harassment and mental pressure he faced, despite his long record of public service, should make all of us pause and reflect on the human cost of relentless political hostility," she wrote.
Though she did not mention the BJP anywhere in her post, Lok Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh was more direct, stating that Asish died because he had been a victim of the "BJP's culture of threats and intimidation".
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari, however, responded to the claims, saying that he had a "good relationship" with the deceased veteran leader, and that there was no doubt he was a decent political leader who shared good rapport with local BJP leaders as well.
In that regard, it is important to note that despite his long political career under successive TMC governments, the veteran leader allegedly distanced himself from the Mamata camp after he lost the 2026 elections.
In fact, his Facebook page also does not show any TMC-linked posts after the BJP's historic win, though THE WEEK could not independently verify claims that he was planning to join the Ritabrata-led rebel bloc of TMC MLAs or the BJP.
"Will probe if anyone threatened him", the CM said, as per a PTI report. He also alleged that “corrupt people in the TMC might try to intimidate" his family, who he urged to cooperate with the police probe into the suicide, for which his phone is being examined.
“Let the police check his phone call records and find out who he had been talking to. Police will see if he was being blackmailed. He was a gentleman, although the same cannot be said about some of his party colleagues,” he added, taking a dig at the Mamata camp.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 AM to 10 PM.)
