Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, May 28: Internal dissent has intensified within the All India Trinamool Congress following the party’s recent assembly election defeat, with several senior leaders openly criticising former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee over issues ranging from corruption to the handling of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.

Among the latest leaders to speak out was Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy, who claimed the party was heading towards collapse.

“The Trinamool Congress will be finished in a few days. Even in national politics, the party has lost its reliability. No party will join hands with Trinamool now,” Roy said in an interview.

Referring to the rape and murder of a young doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Roy alleged that the incident was mishandled and accused the administration of shielding the accused.

“The way the RG Kar incident was handled was wrong. There was a clear attempt to shield the culprits. The police were used for that,” he alleged.

Roy said the protests that followed the incident, especially by women across Kolkata, were the first indication that public sentiment had turned against the ruling party.

He further accused the party leadership of failing to curb corruption. “The mountain of corruption the party leaders have made is unthinkable, and Mamata Banerjee failed to control that,” he said.

Roy also criticised Banerjee’s remarks regarding Hindu religion, claiming that her statements had alienated sections of the public.

The senior leader maintained that the election defeat was inevitable and said leaders at every level of the party should accept responsibility.

Several party leaders also blamed political consultancy organisation I-PAC, founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor, for the party’s decline.

I-PAC had been brought into the Trinamool Congress campaign strategy in 2018 reportedly under the initiative of party MP Abhishek Banerjee. While the organisation had received credit following the party’s sweeping 2021 victory, several leaders are now accusing it of damaging the party structure.

Roy alleged that “I-PAC was given a red carpet to destroy the party”.

Allegations against I-PAC have included arrogance, corruption, sale of party posts for money and creating distance between Mamata Banerjee and grassroots workers.

Former Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, who recently resigned from party posts, had also criticised the influence of I-PAC in her resignation letter.

She alleged that democratic functioning within the party had been overshadowed by “undemocratic and murky influence” and also referred to corruption in the public distribution system, teacher recruitment irregularities and the RG Kar hospital case.

Former Trinamool minister Partha Chatterjee also blamed both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee for the election setback, alleging that the party had become disconnected from the masses.

Amid mounting criticism, the Trinamool Congress has reportedly formed a five-member committee to take action against leaders making public remarks against the party. Party spokesperson Riju Dutta has already been suspended for six years.