As the West Bengal police begins an investigation into the death of former deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, Asish Banerjee, his last note has come to the attention of police. Banerjee, a close aide of Mamata Banerjee, was found hanging at a TMC party office in Birbhum district on Sunday morning.
A purported suicide note recovered from the party office located near his residence in Rampurhat is now at the centre of the investigation, though police is yet to confirm the authenticity of the said note.
As per local media reports, Banerjee has given a detailed account of his political life in the letter. Though he has been a politician since his student days, he has never condoned corruption. He claimed that he did not compromise with corruption even when he was the general secretary of the students' union at Burdwan University and has not taken any money in exchange for his work in his entire life. “I have not taken any financial benefits from people working under me or associated with me. I have never been involved in anything corrupt,” he said.
"I have been a teacher all my life. I have never skipped a class. I have taken special classes. I have taught many students for free. I have received a lot of love from them," Banerjee said.
He then added that entering politics was a mistake, considering the way he was insulted. He also urged his family members not to enter politics.
He also mentioned that he had no responsibility in Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA), a statutory body that managed regional planning, infrastructure, and tourism development around the temple town of Tarapith and Rampurhat in the Birbhum district, except for attending the general meetings.
He claimed that he was not a member of any tender committee and did not have the authority to sign any cheque. “I was not involved in any plan approval or issue of a no-objection certificate,” he said. “I was not involved in any corruption there either. There was political bickering. It never took the form of hostility. Even though I could not always accept all the party injustices, I could not protest. I have never taken a single paisa in exchange for any work in my entire life,” he said.
In the last part of the letter, Banerjee said no one should be held responsible for his death.
However, the police are yet to confirm anything about the suicide note. The former TMC MLA's body has been sent for post-mortem examination. The exact circumstances leading to his death are yet to be ascertained.
The letter has now triggered discussions about the alleged corruption surrounding TRDA. After the BJP government came to power in the state, alleged corruption involving over Rs 500 crore came to light. A probe was launched, and the investigation report may also be made public soon.
