Bengal's 'Lord Hanuman', BJP’s Star Campaigner for 2019 Polls, Commits Suicide; Kin Refute NRC Angle

Kolkata: BJP supporter and star campaigner, Nibhas Sarkar - whose photographs dressed as Lord Hanuman went viral during BJP’s 2019 Lok Sabha campaign in Bengal’s Ranaghat in Nadia district – committed suicide on Thursday afternoon.

Nibhas Sarkar was an RSS worker and was a ‘Jatra’ artist. Nibhas become popular on social media after Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh uploaded his photographs on Twitter during Lok Sabha campaign in Ranaghat constituency.

Tapas Ghosh, Mondal Sabhapati of Bagula, came to know of Nibhas’ death from his brother on Thursday.

“In the (Thursday) afternoon, he (Nibhas) went to the bathroom and after a few minutes, he came out with a small glass bottle in hand. He told his brother Pralab that he had consumed poison as he was fed up with his life. He died on his way to a hospital at Krishnanagar. There was some family issue. His son is a doctor in Udaipur,” Tapas Ghosh said.

Nibhas was a resident of Bagula in Ranaghat, but he had shifted with his family to Udaipur, Rajasthan. There are rumours on social media posts that Nibhas committed suicide over NRC issue, but his brother Pralab Sarkar ruled out such claim.

Jagannath Sarkar, BJP MP from Ranaghat, for whom Nibhas had campaigned during Lok Sabha polls, expressed his condolence and termed him a staunch BJP supporter.

“I know him personally as we were in touch. He campaigned for me and dressed like Lord Hanuman. He used to travel between Rajasthan and Kolkata. It is very unfortunate that he committed suicide. But it is totally fake news that he committed suicide due to NRC,” Jagannath Sarkar said.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh also ruled out claims of NRC behind Nibhas death. “There are people who are spreading such misinformation on social media. We condemn this,” Dilip Ghosh said.

TMC spokesperson was not available for comment.