West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has denied the charge that Asish Banerjee — the former TMC MLA who was found dead in an alleged case of suicide — was pressured by any corruption cases.
“No case was registered against him and he was never sent any notice by the police,” Adhikari said, responding apparently to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s allegations that the former deputy speaker of the assembly was being “pressured” by the new BJP regime.
Police will see if he was being blackmailed. Police reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem examination. The exact circumstances leading to his death are yet to be ascertained, and police are examining the contents of the purported suicide note and other circumstances surrounding the incident, officials added.
“I talked to members of Asish Banerjee’s family today,” Adhikari added, “They said the police and local BJP leaders always behaved well with them. They said Dhruba Saha (BJP leader who defeated him in the recent assembly election) had gone to his home and touched his feet to seek blessings after the polls. Noting that Asish Banerjee had distanced himself from the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC and sided with the rebels after the polls, the CM said, “Let the police check his phone call records and find out who he had been talking to. He was a gentleman although the same cannot be said about some of his party colleagues.
Tribute to Asish Da Amid Political Controversy
Abhishek Banerjee recently paid tribute to Asish Da, a lifelong teacher and public servant, who dedicated decades to serving his community with integrity. Banerjee highlighted the affection Asish Da received from his students, emphasizing his commitment to honesty and simplicity. In a social media post, Banerjee also criticized the BJP and certain media outlets for fostering a political environment where reputations are jeopardized by unverified allegations. He urged these entities to consider the repercussions of such practices, particularly when the truth remains unestablished. Asish Da had long advised his family against entering politics, reflecting his belief in the challenges of the political landscape.
Local BJP MLA Dhruba Saha, who defeated Asish Banerjee in the 2026 Assembly elections, expressed grief over his death and called for a proper investigation.
Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh called for a “neutral investigation”.
