Kolkata, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said the suicide of former state Minister and ex-Deputy Speaker Asish Banerjee may have been linked to some form of “blackmailing pressure” and called for a detailed investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Adhikari said Banerjee, who was a teacher by profession, had distanced himself from former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following the Assembly elections earlier this year and had opposed what he described as injustice and corruption within the Trinamool Congress.
“Asish Banerjee stood against injustice and corruption within his own party after the Assembly elections earlier this year. He distanced himself from the former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He also resigned from the committee that the former Chief Minister had formed,” Adhikari told mediapersons.
The Chief Minister suggested that Banerjee could have faced intimidation or blackmail from individuals within the Trinamool Congress and said these allegations would need to be investigated.
“It is possible that the corrupt people within Trinamool Congress might have intimidated him. Someone might have blackmailed him,” he said.
Adhikari said he had maintained a cordial personal relationship with Banerjee despite their political differences and assured that the circumstances surrounding the death would be properly investigated.
“There will be a proper investigation into the incident. His suicide note and mobile phone will be examined,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said investigators should determine whether anyone had threatened Banerjee before his death. Expressing shock over the incident, he said he had directed the police and the District Magistrate to ensure that the autopsy was conducted properly.
Adhikari maintained that Banerjee was personally honest but said the same could not necessarily be said of his political associates.
The Chief Minister also rejected allegations from sections of the Trinamool Congress that administrative pressure from the state government and an alleged campaign by the BJP to malign Banerjee may have contributed to his decision to take the extreme step.
“No notice was issued by the police or the administration to him, no one within the BJP ever threatened taking his name,” Adhikari said, adding that investigators should examine whether anyone from the Trinamool Congress who was allegedly involved in corruption had threatened Banerjee.
There was no reaction from Mamata Banerjee on the matter till late Sunday afternoon. However, Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee issued a statement on social media blaming the BJP and the media for Asish Banerjee’s suicide.
The allegations from both sides come as the circumstances surrounding Banerjee’s death remain under investigation.
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