New Delhi: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (September 12) said she is “willing to resign” after a meeting between her and junior doctors protesting over the R.G. Kar hospital impasse failed to materialise.
“In the interest of people, I’m willing to resign,” Banerjee said speaking to media persons.
“The protesting doctors have political agenda,” the chief minister added while addressing the Bangla media.
Several videos circulated on social media showed Banerjee waiting in an empty hall for meeting the protesting junior doctors. The meeting was scheduled for 5 pm today. However, the doctors refused to budge on their demand for a live streamed discussion of the negotiations to break the deadlock.
WestbBengal Chief Minister Hon’ble #MamataBanerjee waiting in the meeting hall at Nabanna for the #RGKar protesting junior doctors over 1 hr 45 minutes. pic.twitter.com/i05soqldUp
— Pintu Kumar Mandal (@AITC__PINTU) September 12, 2024
News agency PTI reported that the junior doctors, who have been protesting for several days, arrived 25 minutes late at the designated meeting venue and remained at the gate for over an hour. Despite discussions between senior officials, including director general of police Rajeev Kumar, assistant director general Supratim Sarkar, and chief secretary Manoj Pant and the doctors’ delegation, the doctors were not convinced and remained firm, leading to a standoff.
Also read: Beyond Chai and Biscuits: A Movement of Solidarity Emerges in Protest of RG Kar Tragedy
The state government had offered to record the meeting instead of live streaming it, citing the sensitive nature of the sub-judice R.G. Kar rape-murder case.
“We had conveyed in our letter that live streaming will not be possible but had given our assurances that we would have the whole session recorded for documentation and posterity. The chief minister is waiting for them for the last hour and half. There should be a limit to such demands. We have tried to convince the doctors but they have still not accepted. We request them to consider attending this meeting,” chief secretary Pant was quoted as saying by PTI.
