Kolkata, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday blamed the BJP and sections of the media for what he described as a sustained smear campaign against former West Bengal Minister and ex-Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee, who died by suicide.
Abhishek’s remarks came after a one-page handwritten suicide note in Bengali was recovered along with the former minister’s body on Sunday morning.
Referring to the note, Abhishek alleged that baseless allegations against Asish Banerjee had been repeatedly amplified by the BJP and a section of the media.
“His final note raises serious and troubling questions about the sustained smear campaign he said he had endured. The BJP and sections of the MEDIA must reflect on the consequences of a politics where allegations are amplified, reputations are put on trial and individuals are condemned in the court of public opinion before the truth is established,” Abhishek said in a social media post.
He added that those who participated in the alleged campaign should reflect on the consequences of their words and actions.
“Political battles will come and go, but a life once lost can never be brought back,” he said.
Describing Asish Banerjee’s death as heartbreaking, Abhishek said it should also trouble the conscience of those who believe politics and journalism should operate within certain boundaries.
He described the deceased as a lifelong teacher and public servant who had spent decades serving people with “honesty, dignity and simplicity”. Abhishek said Asish Banerjee was a respected figure in Rampurhat and across Birbhum district.
“West Bengal has lost one of its most respected sons of the soil. My deepest condolences to his family, students, admirers and well-wishers. May God give them strength in this hour of unimaginable grief,” he said.
In the handwritten note, Asish Banerjee reportedly said he regretted entering politics and maintained that he had never engaged in corruption during his political career.
“I have been involved in politics since my student days. I have never been involved in any corruption. I became the general secretary of the students’ union at Burdwan University. I was not involved in any corruption there either,” the note stated.
He also referred to political disagreements, saying they had previously not turned into hostility. He said that although he had not always been able to accept what he considered injustices within the party, he had been unable to protest.
“I have never taken a single penny in exchange for any work in my entire life,” the note stated.
The circumstances surrounding his death and the contents of the note are subject to investigation.
FOLLOW NOW
