Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case: Jawhar Sircar, quits TMC MP, to resign from Rajya Sabha as well

Kolkata doctor rape murder case: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and former IAS Jawhar Sircar on September 8 resigned from his post in Parliament and said he is quitting politics.

In his resignation letter, addressed to TMC Chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Sircar said he is quitting politics due to the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Sircar stated he is resigning as MP from the Upper House due to the incident of alleged rape and murder at RG Kar and related corruption at the hospital.

‘Joined to Fight Communal Politics’

In the letter, Sircar said that his “primary purpose” of becoming an MP was to “carry on the struggle against the autocratic and communal politics of the BJP and its Prime Minister”, adding that he had some satisfaction on this aim.

“…my several interventions in parliament, that are available on YouTube or on Sansad TV archives, will prove how hard and effectively I have fought against the authoritarian, divisive, discriminatory and anti-federal policies of the Modi regime,” he added.

On Kolkata Doctor Rape Case

Sircar further said that the current “outpouring of public anger is against this unchecked overbearing attitude of the favoured few and the corrupt” is spontaneous and something he has never before seen.

“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,” he said.

“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,” he added.

Sircar called out the opposition parties for “trying to fish in troubled waters”, but added that it is the youth and common people agitating on the streets everyday. “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. This calls for course correction immediately or else communal forces will capture this state,” he added.

On Resignation

Sircar said that he does not wish to continue as MP, stating, “my commitment to fight corruption, communalism and authoritarianism in the Centre and the States is simply non-negotiable. 1 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 pled with Banerjee to “please do something to save the state”.

‘Shocked’ by Corruption Among TMC Leaders

Sircar in his resignation pointed to corruption within the TMC stating that he was “shocked”. He added that he has become “increasingly disillusioned” as the West Bengal state government seemed “unconcerned about corruption and increasing strong-arm tactics of a section of leaders”.

Sircar acknowledged that leaders in other parties and other states have also amassed much more wealth, but said that “West Bengal is unable to accept this extravagant corruption and domination”.

Reactions to Sircar's Resignation

Speaking to ANI on the matter, TMC's Kunal Ghosh said the move is Sircar's personal decision.

“... At present, we are working like soldiers under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee but this does not mean that I criticize the personal principle of Jawhar Sircar, it is not so, it is his decision, he can take it. We condemn this (RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder) incident, people are angry about this incident, and they misunderstand the administration. In such a situation, as a soldier of the party, we have to try to explain to the people, we will follow the role of our soldier. If Jawhar Sircar takes any decision, he is a very senior and wise person, he has different principles, our top leadership will consider it. We cannot say anything about this,” Ghosh said.

Speaking to ANI on Sircar's resignation, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Banerjee should resign.

"If someone should give the resignation it should be West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee... TMC government and Mamata Banerjee institutionalised corruption and in his letter, he wrote that whenever he raised the issue of corruption he was silenced...Mamata Banerjee tried to destroy the evidence and save the accused..." he stated.