5 days ago
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Former Rajya Sabha MP and TMC person Santanu Sen connected Thursday (May 28, 2026) resigned arsenic the party's nationalist spokesperson and slammed the outfit implicit the contention surrounding the R.G. Kar rape and execution case and described the canvass decision arsenic a nationalist rejection of "unethical practices".
The resignation comes astatine a clip the TMC is battling unfastened dissent, nationalist recriminations and an erosion of organisational cohesion pursuing its rout successful the Assembly elections.
Mr. Sen, a doctor-turned-politician and councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, submitted his resignation to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, saying helium could nary longer proceed defending issues that had alienated mean people.
"Accepting the people's verdict, I person decided to resign from the station of nationalist spokesperson," Mr. Sen wrote successful his letter. He, however, has not discontinue the party.
In the letter, Mr. Sen said that contempt being a "loyal soldier" of the TMC since its inception, helium was nary longer morally comfy successful publically defending controversies linked to the party.
"In respective hard situations, adjacent erstwhile my conscience did not agree, I fought publically for the enactment successful tv debates and media platforms and had to look disapproval from communal people," helium wrote.
"But now, erstwhile radical person rejected america implicit the R.G. Kar incident, occupation scam and assorted unethical acts and corruption, my conscience nary longer permits maine to enactment these arsenic a spokesperson," helium said.
The R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital contention has remained 1 of the astir politically damaging episodes for the TMC successful caller years.
The rape and execution of an on-duty doc astatine the State-run infirmary past twelvemonth triggered monolithic protests crossed Bengal and sparked sustained outrage among sections of civilian society, doctors and students.
Allegations of organization corruption and attempts to suppress dissent further intensified the backlash.
Mr. Sen, himself a erstwhile pupil and doc associated with RG Kar, had emerged arsenic 1 of the fewer TMC leaders to publically rise questions implicit alleged irregularities astatine the instauration pursuing the incident.
His remarks had embarrassed the enactment enactment astatine the time. He was suspended for "anti-party activities" and removed from the station of spokesperson earlier being reinstated months later.
Soon aft the alteration of defender successful Bengal, Mr. Sen congratulated the caller BJP authorities and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari connected societal media, which caused sizeable discomfort wrong TMC circles.
On Wednesday (May 28, 2026), Mr. Sen escalated matters by publically offering practice to the caller authorities successful immoderate probe related to the R.G. Kar rape-murder case.
"I remained soundless for a agelong clip due to the fact that of concerns astir my daughter's career. Now she has go a doc herself, and I person nary much hesitation," helium had said, portion besides levelling allegations against erstwhile RG Kar main Sandip Ghosh and others linked to the institution.
He had besides spoken astir the alleged power of a "North Bengal lobby" wrong the state's wellness medication -- remarks seen successful governmental circles arsenic an indirect onslaught connected entrenched networks wrong the erstwhile ruling establishment.
,Mr. Sen's resignation is the latest successful a bid of nationalist expressions of dissent by TMC leaders that person rattled the party.
On Wednesday (May 28, 2026), enactment spokesperson and TMC councillor Arup Chakraborty resigned from his presumption successful the KMC's nationalist accounts committee and aboriginal besides relinquished his relation arsenic enactment spokesperson.
Another councillor, Sushanta Ghosh, stepped down from the station of borough chairman.
Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar precocious discontinue each organisational posts and openly complained astir the functioning of sections wrong the enactment leadership.
Several leaders person publically acknowledged that allegations of corruption, extortion and administrative arrogance had contributed to the TMC's decision — an admittance that would person been unthinkable wrong the tightly controlled organisation conscionable months ago.
Reacting to Mr. Sen's resignation, TMC person Biswajit Deb blamed the party's apical enactment and predetermination strategists for the collapse.
"This enactment volition interruption into pieces precise soon. So overmuch organization corruption took spot -- tin anyone judge that Mamata Banerjee oregon Abhishek Banerjee knew nothing?" Mr. Deb said.
He besides targeted governmental consultancy steadfast I-PAC, alleging that resentment had been brewing wrong the organisation implicit excessive dependence connected the strategists.
"Everything had to beryllium routed done I-PAC. Grassroots workers felt ignored and humiliated. The disconnect betwixt the enactment and workers kept growing," helium claimed.
The TMC enactment has not yet officially reacted to Mr. Sen's resignation.
