The fear of NRC (National Register of Citizens) led to a man's alleged suicide on Tuesday in West Bengal, sparking political turmoil. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of engaging in 'fear and division politics,' while BJP retorted by accusing Mamata of 'deliberately spreading lies' and creating panic.
According to Barrackpore Police Commissioner Muralidhar Sharma, the body of 57-year-old Pradeep Kar was found hanging at his home in Panihati, North 24 Parganas district. A suicide note recovered from the scene mentioned his anxiety and fear over NRC. His distress escalated following the announcement of voter list revision (SIR) in 12 states and union territories.
Read more: How will the SIR be conducted amid Mamata's warnings and TMC's threats? See what the Election Commission has to say.
On platform X, Mamata Banerjee stated, 'For years, BJP has terrorized innocent citizens with NRC fears, spreading lies and making insecurity a weapon to turn it into vote politics.' She asserted that BJP has transformed 'constitutional democracy into a theater of fear.' The Chief Minister firmly declared that NRC will not be implemented in Bengal.
Accusation of Spreading Lies for Political Gains
In response, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya mentioned that NRC is not being implemented anywhere in the country and accused Mamata Banerjee of 'spreading lies for political gains.' He demanded an investigation into Pradeep Kar's death, stating, 'The real reason behind the suicide must be ascertained, rather than using it as a political weapon.'
Read more: West Bengal's Big Victory: Supreme Court Orders Resumption of MGNREGA, Dismisses Central Government's Plea
Claim of Misrepresenting SIR as NRC
The BJP claimed that the summary revision of the voter list (SIR) is a routine process, which Mamata is misrepresenting as NRC, creating confusion among the public. The Election Commission has clarified that this exercise is solely to update the voter list. However, Mamata Banerjee has warned that if those 'sitting in Delhi' try to impose NRC-like processes in Bengal, it will lead to 'massive public opposition' in the state.
