Kolkata: TMC MP Jawhar Sircar on Sunday wrote to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, the chief of his party, and said he has decided to quit Rajya Sabha and leave politics altogether, describing the steps taken by the state government in handling the rape and murder of the doctor at RG Kar hospital "too little and quite late".
In the letter, Sircar said he became increasingly "disillusioned" with the state government as it seemed "quite unconcerned" about corruption and "strong-arm tactics" of a section of leaders. Terming the protests over the doctor's death spontaneous, the retired IAS officer said he had not seen "such angst and total no-confidence" against a government, even when it was saying things that were correct or factual.
"The primary purpose of joining as an MP, without any direct involvement in party politics, was that it offered an excellent forum to carry on the struggle against the autocratic and communal politics of the BJP and its Prime Minister. To that extent, I have some satisfaction and my several interventions in parliament...," he said in the letter.
Sircar said that in 2022, a year after he joined the TMC, he was "quite shocked" to see the "open evidence of corruption" that former education minister Partha Chatterjee had indulged in.
"I made a public statement that corruption must be tackled by the party and government, but I was heckled by senior leaders in the party. I did not resign then as I had hoped that you would carry on your public campaign against 'cut money' and corruption that you had started a year earlier," he said.
The former bureaucrat said that he was persuaded by well-wishers to remain an MP to "carry on the battle" against "a regime that is the greatest ever threat to Indian democracy and civil liberties".
"Though I carried on my task in parliament with fervour, I became increasingly disillusioned as the state government seemed quite unconcerned about corruption and the increasing strong-arm tactics of a section of leaders," he said.
Noting his middle-class way of living, Sircar said he was amazed to see that several elected panchayat and municipal representatives of the TMC acquired big properties and moved around in expensive vehicles.
"This hurts not only me, but the people of West Bengal. It is also true that leaders in other parties and other states have amassed much more wealth, but West Bengal is unable to accept this extravagant corruption and domination. I know that the present Central regime thrives on the multi-billionaires that it has enriched, and not a day goes when I do not accuse it of dirty crony-capitalism. I just cannot accept some things, like corrupt officers (or doctors) getting prime and top postings. No," he added.
Referring to the protests over the rape and murder of the doctor, he said the "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 said.
Sircar said he had "suffered patiently" for a month since the incident at RG Kar hospital, hoping for 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," he said.
Sircar said the agitation was non-political and spontaneous and it was 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 (name given to the victim) 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 said.
Sircar claimed he wrote the letter as he did not get the opportunity to speak privately with Banerjee for months.
"I express my gratitude again for the opportunity you gave me to raise Bengal's issues in parliament for 3 years, but I do not wish to continue as MP at all. My commitment to fight corruption, communalism and authoritarianism in the Centre and the States is simply non-negotiable," he said.
He said he would soon visit Delhi, and offer his resignation to the Rajya Sabha chairperson, disassociating himself from politics.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the party respects Sircar's decision, and he was hopeful that the leadership would address the issues that were raised, and take strong, clear, and positive actions.
"We are also mindful of the other issues Sircar has recently highlighted and understand that as a person of integrity and deep emotion, he is entitled to respond as he sees fit," said Ghosh.
The BJP said it would be unwise for it to comment before Sircar submits his resignation to the Rajya Sabha chairperson.
"This is not the first time, earlier also he had expressed his desire to resign from the party and give up his membership of Parliament. Later he backtracked. Let us see what happens now. But if he really does so, the people of Bengal would be happy that at least he had the spine to stand against the corrupt regime," BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya said.