Amid controversy, TMC RS member Sircar reinstated in WhatsApp group

Kolkata, Sep 3 (IANS) Amid controversy over the removal of Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member and bureaucrat-turned-politician Jawhar Sircar from the internal WhatsApp group of the party's members in the Upper House, Sircar got reinstated in the group just hours after his removal.

However, the reinstatement process was carried out in an indirect manner, as confirmed by a member of the said WhatsApp group, on strict condition of anonymity.

First the original WhatsApp group from where Sircar was removed on Saturday afternoon was deactivated soon after the news became viral.

After that a new internal WhatsApp group of the party's Rajya Sabha members was created wherein Sircar's number was included along with his other party colleagues.

While Sircar, a retired IAS officer and ex-CEO of Prasar Bharati, maintained his "no comments" stand in the matter, Trinamool leaders too refused to comment on the development till filing of this report.

However, opposition leaders have ridiculed the entire development.

"If Jawhar Sircar resigns from the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress will sell the seat vacated by him for crores of rupees," said Suvendu Adhikari, leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

Recently, while speaking to a vernacular news channel, Sircar had said that he was shocked by the huge cash recovered from the two residences of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of former state Education Minister and the prime accused in the teacher recruitment scam, Partha Chatterjee.

He had also said that after the recovery of cash was flashed in the media, there was immense pressure on him from his family members, friends and well-wishers.

Following Sircar's remarks, senior Trinamool leaders such as Saugata Roy and Tapas Roy had said that his comments were unwarranted and caused embarrassment to the party leadership.