Tension has erupted within the Trinamool Congress (TMC) following the suspension of senior party leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Dr Shantanu Sen, who has been vocal in his protests over the rape and murder case at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.Sen’s suspension has sparked discontent among party members, with some alleging that the decision tacitly endorses the criminal activities of "mafia elements" that have been implicated in the RG Kar campus scandal.
A former TMC MLA, speaking on condition of anonymity, criticised the move, stating, “The suspension of Shantanu Sen seems to give a stamp of approval to the mafia elements responsible for tarnishing the RG Kar campus and disrupting the state’s medical education system.â€
Sen, a medical doctor who graduated from RG Kar, has long been an outspoken critic of corruption and malpractice within the state’s healthcare system. His daughter, also an RG Kar student, has been at the forefront of a movement against alleged mafia elements, including former principal Sandip Ghosh, who is currently incarcerated in connection with the case.
Sources close to the TMC suggest that the suspension of Sen, known for his close ties to party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, is part of the leadership’s broader efforts to enforce discipline within the party as it prepares for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. However, Sen himself has expressed confusion about the rationale behind his suspension.
“I really don’t know the reason behind my suspension. I am yet to receive any information about it from the party,†Sen stated, adding that he trusts in his leadership, which he believes will always support standing up for the truth. The controversy surrounding Sen’s suspension highlights growing divisions within the TMC, as political maneuvering intensifies ahead of the upcoming elections.
