95-year-old man dies by suicide in West Bengal, family blames fear over voter list revision stress
Kolkata (PTI): A 95-year-old man from West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district allegedly died by suicide in Birbhum after being reportedly distressed over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, his family claimed on Thursday.
This is the second such death reported in West Bengal in the past 72 hours, following a similar incident at Panihati near Kolkata. A farmer in Cooch Behar, who tried to end his life, is currently admitted to the hospital.
According to police, the deceased, identified as Kshitish Majumdar, was found hanging at his daughter's residence in Illambazar area of Birbhum district on Wednesday night.
"The man was found hanging from the ceiling of one of the rooms of his daughter's residence here in Illambazar. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination. His family alleged that the person was under severe stress, fearing exclusion following the voter list verification process," a police officer claimed.
Family members said Majumdar had been anxious after learning that his name was missing from the 2002 electoral rolls.
"He would often say that since his name was not there in the 2002 voter list, he would have to go back to Bangladesh", a family member said, adding that he had been mentally disturbed over the matter.
Police have registered an unnatural death case and begun an investigation.
Police sources said Majumdar’s family moved to West Bengal from Bangladesh in 1995 and settled in Paschim Medinipur district.
Initial probe revealed that Majumdar was listed on the voter rolls and had exercised his franchise multiple times over the years, the source said.
"Majumdar was repeatedly told by his neighbours that anyone whose name did not appear on the 2002 voter list would have to return to Bangladesh. The warnings reportedly left him deeply anxious," he said.
No official statement has yet been issued by the Election Commission (EC) regarding the incident.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemned the deaths and the suicide bid allegedly linked to distress over the proposed SIR in the state.
Banerjee said the incidents reflected the "tragic consequences of the BJP's politics of fear, division and hate".
"We are witnessing the tragic consequences of the BJP’s politics of fear, division and hate. Within 72 hours of the Election Commission’s announcement of the SIR exercise in Bengal - An exercise bulldozed through at the BJP’s behest. One avoidable tragedy after another has occurred," Banerjee posted on X.
Referring to the recent cases, she said, "And today, 95-year-old Khitish Majumder from Kotwali, Paschim Medinipur living with his daughter in Ilambazar, Birbhum ended his life, gripped by the fear that he and his family might be dispossessed of their land."
She described the situation as "not just tragedy, it is betrayal of humanity itself" and asked, "Who will answer for these avoidable, politically inflicted tragedies? Will the Home Minister accept responsibility? Will the BJP and its allies find the courage to speak out?"
Banerjee urged citizens not to be provoked or take extreme steps.
"I appeal to every citizen: Do not be provoked, do not lose faith, I and do not take any extreme step. Our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar stands with you. We will not allow the NRC to be implemented in Bengal. We will not permit a single legitimate citizen to be branded an 'outsider.'"
She added, "Until the last drop of our blood, we will fight to protect the rights of the people and to defeat the BJP and their allies' nefarious agenda to tear apart the social fabric of our nation."
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BJP using women's quota bill as front to pass Delimitation Bill that will break India: Mamata
Cooch Behar (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law in Parliament as a front for the Delimitation Bill that would "break the country into pieces".
The TMC will fight this Central government's move at every step, she asserted at her party's poll rally here.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law, along with the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, to implement the proposed amended women's quota law, in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
According to the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Opposing the Centre's move, Banerjee alleged that "the BJP brought the Delimitation Bill while keeping the women's reservation bill at the front".
"The BJP is trying to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to nearly 850 through the Delimitation Bill. It will break the country into pieces," the TMC supremo said.
She also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not speaking the truth about the development of north Bengal at a BJP rally last week.
"The prime minister said nothing was done for the development of north Bengal. But we spent Rs 1.72 lakh crore on the development of the region," Banerjee said and asked Modi to cross-check data before making such remarks.
