Kolkata Horror: Mamata Invites Protesting Doctors To Meet Month After Blaming Them For Protest

Kolkata: Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday invited agitating junior doctors for meeting at state secretariat to resolve impasse over RG Kar issue, PTI quoted officials as saying. Doctors have been protesting for almost a month now, demanding justice in the trainee-doctor's rape and murder case in Kolkata.

The development has also come weeks after she blamed medics for protest against the Kolkata doctor's brutal rape and murder case. Earlier today, Mamata government have a deadline to the protesting doctors to return to work, however, the medics unthreatened by administration's deadline, gave the the government a deadline to listen to their demands. 

Mamata accuses Centre, Left for protest 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Centre and Left parties of conspiring against her amid ongoing protests urging the public to focus on the upcoming Durga Puja festivities.

She, however, faced flak for the remark made on a day that marked completion of a month of the horrific crime, with the victim’s family criticizing it as "insensitive”.

Speaking at an administrative review meeting at the state secretariat ‘Nabanna’, Banerjee denied accusations that she offered monetary compensation to the deceased doctor's family, calling such claims "slanderous lies" and part of a broader conspiracy.

BJP presses for Mamata's resignation 

The BJP in Delhi pressed for Banerjee's resignation as the CM, saying her "dirty face" was exposed in the Supreme Court during a hearing on the case.

Amid calls for the expulsion of city Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal for “mishandling” the case, Banerjee, who heads the home department, revealed that the top officer had offered to resign multiple times in the past week but was persuaded to continue because of the Durga Puja festival.

Emphasizing the need for calm and the resumption of normal life amid protests that have rocked the state for the past one month, Banerjee said, "If you stay on the roads every night, it affects the elderly people's sleep due to noise pollution. We haven't acted on state pollution control board norms.”

The state witnessed three editions of ‘Reclaim the night’ campaign in which women took out rallies at midnight.

“I request you to return to festivities and let the CBI complete the investigation at the earliest," Banerjee said.

Her remarks drew a sharp reaction from the victim's family which questioned: "What about our festivities when we have lost our daughter? Let her return our daughter. Would she have said the same had this happened in her family?"

"We used to celebrate Durga Puja with our daughter, but we will never celebrate Durga Puja or any other festival for years to come. Her remarks are insensitive.”

Mamata denies offering money to victim trainee-doctor's family 

Banerjee denied allegations that she had offered money to the family of the victims.

"I never said anything about offering money. This is a conspiracy by the Centre and some Left parties. I challenge anyone to show proof of such claims. It's an attempt to malign our government," she said.

The doctor’s body was found in the seminar room of the state-run hospital on August 9. Three days later, the chief minister visited her home and met her parents.

"I told the parents that if they wanted to honour their daughter's memory, our government would stand by them. I know what to say in such situations. Even after I left, you (reporters) asked the parents about this. We have records of what I had said," Banerjee said.

However, a family member told reporters: “She (the CM) is lying.”

With inputs from PTI