West Bengal’s political temperature rose further after the death of 57-year-old Pradip Kar, found hanging at his home in the Agarpara area, an incident his family says was driven by fear over the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited the bereaved family on Wednesday and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and election authorities of creating an atmosphere of fear that he said contributed to the tragedy.
At the family visit, Abhishek emphasised that TMC would not allow “the name of a single genuine voter” to be removed from Bengal’s rolls in the name SIR, and threatened a forceful political response if removals continued. In a stark warning aimed at BJP campaigners, he said they would be “surrounded, tied up, and asked — ‘Bring your grandfather’s certificate, then come to campaign’.” The remark quickly drew attention for its confrontational tenor.
Clarifying the tone of his warning, the Diamond Harbour MP added an explicit restriction saying, “Keep them tied up, do not lay hands on anyone. We do not believe in laying hands on anyone.”
Abhishek also pressed for legal accountability in Kar’s death case, asking why no FIR had been filed naming senior officials, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Election Commissioner, and demanded justice for the family. He announced that TMC would mount a statewide protest march on Thursday under the slogan “Justice for Pradip Kar.”
In a broader attack on what he described as institutional bias, Abhishek alleged that employees of the Election Commission and senior political figures had family entries in older voter lists, suggesting selective protection — an allegation he used to argue that the SIR was effectively being used to purge genuine voters. He warned that any removal of voters’ names in Bengal would prompt mass mobilisation, even promising to “surround Delhi with one lakh people” if necessary to forcefully register dissent.
Police said investigations into Kar’s death are ongoing, and officials are probing whether stress over SIR and related announcements played a role. The TMC’s strong public reaction and the specific “tied up” remark are likely to sharpen political confrontations in the state as parties prepare for protests and further statements in the coming days.
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