'When my conscience did not agree, I fought publicly for party': Santanu Sen resigns as TMC national spokesperson

At a time when TMC is battling open dissent, public recriminations and an erosion of organisational cohesion following its performance in the recently concluded assembly elections in West Bengal, former Rajya Sabha MP and TMC leader Santanu Sen on Thursday resigned as the party's national spokesperson.

He also reprimanded the outfit over the controversy surrounding the R G Kar rape and murder case and described the poll defeat as a public rejection of "unethical practices".

Sen, a doctor-turned-politician and councillor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, submitted his resignation to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, saying he could no longer continue defending issues that had alienated ordinary people.

"Accepting the people's verdict, I have decided to resign from the post of national spokesperson," Sen wrote in his letter. He, however, has not quit the party.

In the letter, Sen said that despite being a "loyal soldier" of the TMC since its inception, he was no longer morally comfortable in publicly defending controversies linked to the party.

"In several difficult situations, even when my conscience did not agree, I fought publicly for the party in television debates and media platforms and had to face criticism from common people," he wrote.

"But now, when people have rejected us over the RG Kar incident, job scam and various unethical acts and corruption, my conscience no longer permits me to support these as a spokesperson," he said.

The RG Kar Medical College and Hospital controversy has remained one of the most politically damaging episodes for the TMC in recent years.

The rape and murder of an on-duty doctor at the state-run hospital last year triggered massive protests across Bengal and sparked sustained outrage among sections of civil society, doctors and students.

Allegations of institutional corruption and attempts to suppress dissent further intensified the backlash.

Sen, himself a former student and doctor associated with RG Kar, had emerged as one of the few TMC leaders to publicly raise questions over alleged irregularities at the institution following the incident.

His remarks had embarrassed the party leadership at the time. He was suspended for "anti-party activities" and removed from the post of spokesperson before being reinstated months later.

Soon after the change of guard in Bengal, Sen congratulated the new BJP government and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on social media, which caused considerable discomfort within TMC circles.

On Wednesday, Sen escalated matters by publicly offering cooperation to the new government in any probe related to the RG Kar rape-murder case.

"I remained silent for a long time because of concerns about my daughter's career. Now she has become a doctor herself, and I have no more hesitation," he had said, while also levelling allegations against former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and others linked to the institution.

He had also spoken about the alleged influence of a "North Bengal lobby" within the state's health administration -- remarks seen in political circles as an indirect attack on entrenched networks within the former ruling establishment.

Sen's resignation is the latest in a series of public expressions of dissent by TMC leaders that have rattled the party.

On Wednesday, party spokesperson and TMC councillor Arup Chakraborty resigned from his position in the KMC's public accounts committee and later also relinquished his role as party spokesperson.

Another councillor, Sushanta Ghosh, stepped down from the post of borough chairman.

Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar recently quit all organisational posts and openly complained about the functioning of sections within the party leadership.

Several leaders have publicly acknowledged that allegations of corruption, extortion and administrative arrogance had contributed to the TMC's defeat -- an admission that would have been unthinkable within the tightly controlled organisation just months ago.

Reacting to Sen's resignation, TMC leader Biswajit Deb blamed the party's top leadership and election strategists for the collapse.

"This party will break into pieces very soon. So much institutional corruption took place -- can anyone believe that Mamata Banerjee or Abhishek Banerjee knew nothing?" Deb said.

He also targeted political consultancy firm I-PAC, alleging that resentment had been brewing within the organisation over excessive dependence on the strategists.

"Everything had to be routed through I-PAC. Grassroots workers felt ignored and humiliated. The disconnect between the leadership and workers kept growing," he claimed.

The TMC leadership has not yet officially reacted to Sen's resignation.

(with PTI inputs)