Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member and retired IAS officer, Jawhar Sircar, announced his decision to resign from the Rajya Sabha on Sunday. The resignation is in protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor from R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, as well as growing corruption in the governance of West Bengal. Sircar expressed his grievances in a letter dated September 8, addressed to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where he also declared his decision to quit politics permanently.
In his letter, Sircar referenced a previous moment in 2022 when he had considered resigning following evidence of corruption involving former West Bengal Education Minister, Partha Chatterjee. He stated that at that time, despite harassment from certain members of the TMC leadership, he chose to stay in the Rajya Sabha, hoping Mamata Banerjee would continue her anti-corruption efforts.
Sircar highlighted the widespread unrest across West Bengal in response to the R.G. Kar incident, blaming a faction of the “pampered bureaucracy and corrupt individuals” for the ongoing issues. He stated, “I have never witnessed such grievance and non-confidence against any government in my life.”
He further criticized the state government’s handling of the protests led by junior doctors, questioning why the Chief Minister had not directly engaged with them, as she had done in the past. Sircar opined that the state’s recent disciplinary measures were too late and that proactive steps earlier could have improved the situation in the state’s health administration.
Emphasizing the non-political and spontaneous nature of the protests, Sircar urged against giving the movement a political label. According to him, the movement was not only seeking justice for the victim but also raising voices against the state government and its ruling party.
As of the time this report was filed, there has been no official response from the Trinamool Congress regarding Sircar’s resignation. However, opposition party leaders have welcomed his decision.
