Kolkata/IBNS: Responding to the spiralling RG Kar protest over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar has written to West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee expressing his decision to resign from the upper house of Parliament as a lawmaker. He also cited corruption in TMC as one of his reasons to step down.
A retired Indian Administrative Services officer, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India, on Aug 2, 2021 on an AITC ticket to represent the state of West Bengal. He has effectively already completed three years as an upper house MP of the total six years tenure.
However, amid the RG Kar rape and murder controversy when many questioned a public intellectual like him continuing under TMC accused of a cover-up and an insensitive stance over the unprecedented peoples protest, Sircar responded on his social media timeline on caustic remarks by people over his Teachers Day post on his teacher late Father P.Y. Gilson in St. Xaviers (Teachers Day: Tribute to Someone Who Changed My Life), hinting he might step down.
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One responder asked why he chose a wrong teacher (read Mamata Banerjee) in the autumn of his life.
In a letter written to Mamata Banerjee, Sircar questioned the stance of the Chief Minister who herself has not spoken to the junior doctors on a ceasework over the gruesome murder and rape.
The letter said he was disillusioned by the state government over corruption and strong-arm tactics of some leaders.
He said the agitation in West Bengal is largely non-political and spontaneous and though the Opposition is trying to fish in troubled water the mainstream of the protest cannot be labelled political.
Photo credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons
He said he would hand over his resignation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in Delhi and dissociate himself from politics completely.
Meanwhile, TMC leader Debangshu Bhattacharya slammed Sircar without naming him on his X handle and called people like him opportunist who are tying to play consience-keeper while leaving the battleground when there is adversity. He said history will look down upon him for failing to swim against the tide. The human birth is in vain if you cannot swim against the tide, he posted.
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Debangshu Bhattacharya Dev (@ItsYourDev) September 8, 2024
Below is the copy of the letter of Sircar to Mamata Banerjee as available to the media:
