Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee held Union home minister and chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar responsible for the death of a Panihati resident.

"Kar died because of anxiety over NRC and SIR. An FIR should be filed against Shah and Kumar," Abhishek said after meeting the family members of the deceased at their home in North 24-Parganas Panihati on Wednesday afternoon.

Abhishek asked if Shah and Kumar could produce the birth certificates of their parents, a prerequisite for the SIR exercise.

Fifty-seven year old Pradeep Kumar died by suicide on Tuesday leaving behind a notebook where he held NRC responsible for his death.

Though NRC is yet to be implemented in Bengal, the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls, which started from the day he died, is being seen as a form of NRC.

The Opposition parties have opposed the special revision alleging it would lead to disenfranchisement of genuine voters who may not have all the necessary documents.

Abhishek urged the locals to confront and "tie up" local BJP leaders if they asked for their parents’ birth certificates during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls or for NRC verification.

“Next time local BJP leaders come to your area, stop them and ask them to furnish their parents’ certificates. Tie them to a tree or lamp post and tell them they won’t be released until they produce their parents’ and grandparents’ documents," he said. “We do not believe in violence. Don’t hit them, just tie them up.”

Abhishek claimed that the anxiety created by the BJP and the Election Commission had driven Kar to take the extreme step and accusedShah and Kumar of creating a “climate of panic".

Responding to Abhishek’s remarks, BJP asserted that the SIR exercise will take place in West Bengal regardless of what happens. “They can protest, they can go to Mars or Antarctica, they can do anything. No matter what they do, SIR will happen," said Samik Bhattacharya, the Rajya Sabha MP and Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya.

“To stop the implementation of SIR will amount to a violation of the principles of the Constitution. When that happens, the Constitution will do what it needs to do. It is a routine procedure and it will take place across the country," he added.

Earlier in the day, leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari told reporters that the ruling party in the state was peddling lies over the tragic death of a man for political dividend.

"Kar's death is in no way related to the issue of NRC and SIR (Special Intensive Revision). The unfortunate incident must be due to some other reasons," he told reporters.

"The TMC has built up false narratives in an insensitive manner. The people of Bengal will give a befitting reply to such propaganda," the Nandigram MLA said.

BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya accused Banerjee of "resorting to lies and theatrics" over the incident.

"The tragic death of Pradeep Kar must be investigated thoroughly - the cause of suicide can and must be determined only by the law and investigating agencies, not through political rhetoric," Malviya said in a post on X.

"Let's also get the facts right - there is NO NRC anywhere in the country. Mamata Banerjee is lying and deliberately spreading panic to stoke fear among people for political gain," he added.

Malviya alleged that it was the TMC and not the BJP, that "weaponised fear" by exploiting the anxieties of poor Hindu refugees who fled religious persecution and sought shelter in India.