Jawhar Sircar, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) politician and Rajya Sabha MP, resigned on Sunday, citing dissatisfaction with the West Bengal government’s response to the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College. Sircar’s resignation comes amid rising public resentment and protests over the state administration’s handling of the matter.
In his resignation letter to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Sircar criticized the government’s failure to act decisively on corruption and the increasing dominance of certain officials within the party. “I cannot accept corrupt officers getting prime postings while the government remains indifferent,” he stated.
Sircar also highlighted his disappointment with Banerjee’s leadership, revealing that he had not spoken privately with her for months. He further criticized the TMC’s handling of the protests by junior doctors, accusing the government of delaying action. “I have suffered patiently for a month since the incident, hoping for your intervention, but it never came,” he said.
The resignation adds to the internal criticism Banerjee has received from her party. Sircar warned that if the TMC continues on its current path, “communal forces will capture the state.” His closing statements urged the party to confront public indignation in a more conciliatory manner rather than dismissing the protests as politically motivated. The incident has put Banerjee’s government under intense pressure, with charges of inaction and mismanagement coming from both within and beyond the party.