Couldn't protest against party wrongdoings: TMC's Asish Banerjee in suicide note

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former West Bengal minister Asish Banerjee allegedly died by suicide inside a party office near his residence in the state's Birbhum district, leaving behind a purported note in which he appeared to claim innocence against allegations of corruption.His body was found hanging on Sunday morning. In his purported note, Banerjee, who was also an ex-Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly, apparently referred to supposed allegations of wrongdoings related to the Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority (TRDA), where he had served as the chairperson.The veteran TMC leader claimed that he had no role in the civic planning and development agency's tender-related decisions, cheque issuance, plan approvals or no-objection certificates."In TRDA (Tarapith Rampurhat Development Authority), no files were given to me for 3.5 years. I was not in the Tender Committee, nor did I have cheque-signing power. I did not issue plan approvals or No Objection Certificates (NOCs). So, no grants were given. No one ever held any discussions with me on these matters; I had no scope at all in these affairs," he allegedly wrote in the letter. He also wrote that although he could not always accept "wrongdoings" within his party, he had been unable to protest against them.Banerjee also claimed that he never indulged in corruption throughout his political career. He alleged that attempts had been made to "malign" and humiliate him, and said he felt that entering politics was a mistake. The ex-lawmaker was 74 and is survived by his wife and son. Banerjee, who had been associated with politics since his student days and had also worked as a teacher, advised members of his family not to enter politics and recalled the affection he had received from his students."Throughout my life, I have never taken a single penny in exchange for doing any work," he allegedly wrote.Banerjee was a five-time MLA from Rampurhat, having represented the constituency for 25 consecutive years from 2001 to 2026. He, however, lost the seat to Bharatiya Janata Party's Dhruba Saha in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls.His body was found a day after the former TMC MLA participated in an Independence Day celebration in Rampurhat and hoisted the Tricolour there.Banerjee's death comes months after his party lost power in West Bengal following its 15-year rule, with the BJP forming the government after the 2026 Assembly polls.The change in political fortunes has also seen several former TMC leaders and legislators face corruption-related investigations and arrests.Police are investigating whether Banerjee died by suicide and, if so, what prompted him to take the extreme step. The body has been sent for postmortem.Reacting to the death, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the contents of the purported final note raised "serious and troubling questions" about the alleged smear campaign faced by Banerjee."A lifelong teacher and public servant, Asish Da devoted decades to serving people with honesty, dignity and simplicity," the Lok Sabha MP wrote on social media as he targeted the BJP and a section of the media, calling for self-reflection on the consequences of a politics in which allegations are amplified and reputations are put on trial before the truth is established.Meanwhile, Dhruba Saha also expressed grief over the former Rampurhat MLA's death and called for a proper investigation."After I won from Rampurhat, I had gone to his residence to seek his blessings. The people of Rampurhat and Birbhum want to know the truth. We want a proper investigation into his death," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.- Ends(With inputs from PTI)Published On: Aug 16, 2026 13:43 IST