Kolkata Doctor Case: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Willing to Resign; Says Not Concerned About the Post, Want Justice
Kolkata Doctor Case: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Willing to Resign; Says i am not Concerned About the Post, Want Justice
Amidst a prolonged standoff with junior doctors over the rape and murder of a medic in Kolkata last month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (Sep 12) said she was willing to tender her resignation.
“In the interest of people, I’m willing to resign,” she said. “I am ready to resign as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. I am not concerned about the post. I want justice, I am only concerned about justice getting served,” the CM said.
Banerjee’s remarks came after the proposed talks between the government and agitating doctors did not take place as the latter refused to engage unless their demand to live-stream the meeting was met.
The doctors reached at the gate of the meeting venue at 5:25 pm IST and remained there for an hour as their standoff with the government officials continued.
Mamata waited inside the venue for over an hour, after having agreed to meet with the doctors.
The state’s chief secretary Manoj Pant earlier stressed that the live-stream of the meeting was not “feasible.”
“The chief minister has been waiting for over an hour and a half. We have tried to explain to the doctors that their demand for a live stream cannot be met, but we are ready to document the entire session. There should be a limit to such demands,” Pant reportedly told reporters.
Earlier, a 30-member delegation of junior doctors refused to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday, after their request for a live broadcast of the meeting was turned down by the West Bengal government.
Protests in Kolkata entered the 34th day on Thursday. The Supreme Court’s directive for doctors to resume work remains in effect. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched search operations on Thursday morning at the residences and offices of individuals connected to Sandip Ghosh, the arrested former principal of RG Kar Hospital, regarding alleged financial irregularities. Searches were conducted at Chandan Louhya’s flat in Kolkata’s Tala area and an office in Kalindi.
Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: ‘What was wrong with live streaming?’ Doctors
The doctors’ response to Mamata:
? “This is not a fight of anyone’s ego. This is fight for justice for Abhaya. We don’t have any hidden wish to snatch someone’s chair or to cause fall of some government. We want our five-point demands.”
? “What was wrong with live-streaming. Was the demand unjustified? If SC can go for live hearing, why cannot the state government?”
? “Had the state government accepted this simple demand (live streaming), this would not have happened.”
? “We condemn her (Mamata Banerjee’s) statement saying we got instructions from outside and changed our stand.”
Kolkata Doctor Rape-Murder Case Live Updates: What Mamata said
Here’s what Mamata said:
? “For people’s sake, I am ready to resign; I also want justice for the murdered RG Kar hospital doctor.”
? “I apologize to Bengal people who expected an end to the RG Kar impasse today.”
? “I will still not take any action against agitating junior doctors; I will forgive them since we are elders.”
?”27 people died, 7 lakh patients suffering because of junior doctors’ ‘cease work.’”
? “I tried thrice to hold talks with junior doctors to end the RG Kar stalemate.”
? “We had arrangements to video record the meeting with junior doctors; we could have shared that with the Supreme Court’s permission.”
? “As the RG Kar case is sub-judice, the meeting with junior doctors cannot be live-streamed as demanded.”