On Sunday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar resigned from his parliamentary post and announced his retirement from politics. In his resignation letter addressed to TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee, Sircar also came down heavily on the state government’s mishandling of the trainee doctor’s rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata and corruption by TMC leaders.
In the letter, he stated, “…I must inform you that I have decided to resign from parliament and also from politics altogether.”
“Not seen such angst and total no confidence against the government..” – #JawaharSircar resigns as #TMC Mp over the #RGkar rape and murder of a doctor and the absence of “direct intervention” by the chief minister to fix it – happening now @themojostory pic.twitter.com/0EuzCbhCJS
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) September 8, 2024
Lambasting TMC’s strong-arm tactics against the public movement, Sircar flagged the “unchecked overbearing attitude of the favoured few and the corrupt” in his party. He wrote, “I just cannot accept some things, like corrupt officers (or doctors) getting prime and top postings.” He pointed out that the recent public movement is as much to seek Justice for Abhaya as it is against the TMC government which has lost confidence.
He wrote, “…the present spontaneous outpouring of public anger is against this unchecked overbearing attitude of the favoured few and the corrupt. In all my years, I have not seen such angst and total no-confidence against the government, even when it says something correct or factual.”
He specifically highlighted the Kolkata case and noted that things could have been different if the Mamata Banerjee government had handled the case differently and acted firmly against the corrupt officials.
He wrote, “I have suffered patiently for a month since the terrible incident at RG Kar Hospital, and was hoping for your direct intervention with the agitating junior doctors, in the old style of Mamata Banerjee. It has not happened and whatever punitive steps that government is taking now are too little and quite late. I think normalcy may have been restored in this state much earlier, if the caucus of the corrupt doctors was smashed and those guilty of taking improper administrative actions punished immediately after the scandalous incident happened.”
Sircar also advised the party not to take a confrontational approach noting that the protests are primarily driven by a desire for justice and punishment rather than political motives.
He further stated, “It is my belief that the mainstream of the agitation is non-political and a spontaneous one and it is not correct to take a confrontational stand, by labelling it political. They want no politics: they want justice and punishment. Let us analyse frankly and realise that the movement is as much for Abhaya as it is against the state government and the party. ”
He noted that he was compelled to say all these things in writing because the TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee didn’t give him time to meet for several months.
Sircar also highlighted that a year after he joined politics, he was shocked to witness open evidence of corruption by TMC Ministers. He added that when he made public statements about the party and the government tackling corruption, his senior party colleagues heckled him.
He, however, stated that he didn’t resign back then as he hoped that Mamata Banerjee would carry on with her so-called public campaign against ‘cut money’ and corruption that she had started a year earlier.
He added that after persuasion from his well-wishers, he continued as an MP but he became increasingly “disillusioned” as the state government seemed quite “unconcerned about corruption” and the increasing “strong-arm tactics” of a section of leaders.
Highlighting corruption at all levels, Sircar further stated, “…I get amazed to see that several elected panchayat and municipal leaders have acquired big properties and move around in expensive vehicles. This hurts not only me, but the people of West Bengal… West Bengal is unable to accept this extravagant corruption and domination.”
Slamming the TMC government for promoting corrupt officials, Sircar said, “I just cannot accept some things, like corrupt officers (or doctors) getting prime and top postings. No.”
He also announced his retirement from politics stating, “I shall go to Delhi soon and offer my resignation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and will also disassociate myself totally from politics.”
He concluded by urging Mamata Banerjee, “Please do something to save the state.”
The TMC MP’s resignation comes at a time when the Mamata Banerjee government’s back is against the wall because of the mounting public pressure and widespread protests in the
