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Kolkata, Oct 30 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the spate of suicides and suicide attempts in the state over the past few days over the alleged fear of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and possible National Register of Citizens (NRC) are examples of the tragic consequences of the BJP’s politics of fear, division and hatred.
Chief Minister Banerjee’s statement comes after a 95-year-old resident of West Midnapore district was reported to have allegedly committed suicide out of fear of his name being removed from the voter list following the SIR.
Khitish Majumdar, a resident of West Midnapore district, committed suicide at his relative’s house in Ilambazar area of Birbhum district on Thursday, reportedly fearing that his name would be removed from the voter list following the SIR and subsequently being deprived of Indian citizenship rights.
“Within 72 hours of the Election Commission announcing the SIR exercise in Bengal – an exercise carried out at the behest of the BJP, one avoidable tragedy after another has happened. On October 27, Pradeep Kar, 57, of Panihati, Khardah, died by suicide, leaving a note that read, “NRC is responsible for my death.” On October 28, a 63-year-old man from Dinhata in Cooch Behar committed suicide. “His life was scarred by harassment under the SIR process. And today, 95-year-old Khitish Majumdar of West Medinipur, who was living with his daughter in Birbhum, ended his life fearing that he and his family would be evicted from their land,” the Chief Minister said in a social media post on Thursday.
The Chief Minister also asked whether Union Home Minister Amit Shah would accept responsibility for such tragedies.
“Will the BJP and its allies, under whose watch this fear psychosis has spread, muster the courage to speak out?” Chief Minister Banerjee asked.
According to the Chief Minister, the incidents of two suicides and one suicide attempt are not only a tragedy but also a betrayal of humanity.
At the same time, CM Banerjee had also issued an appeal to the people of West Bengal and requested them not to get agitated after such incidents.
The Chief Minister said, “I appeal to every citizen: do not get agitated, do not lose faith and do not take any extremist step. Our Maa-Mati-Manush government stands with you. We will not allow NRC to be implemented in Bengal – neither through the front door, nor through the back door. We will not allow even a single legitimate citizen to be labeled an “outsider”.
“Till the last drop of our blood, we will fight to protect the rights of the people and defeat the nefarious agenda of the BJP and their allies to tear apart the social fabric of our country,” he said.
–IANS
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