'Ready to Resign': Cornered Over RG Kar Doctors' Protest Mamata Makes Dramatic Statement

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing deadlock over talks with junior doctors protesting the brutal rape and murder of their colleague at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a big statement, expressing her willingness to step down. "In the interest of people, I'm willing to resign, I don't want CM's chair," the TMC supremo announced on Thursday. Her statement comes as agitating junior doctors refused to join the Bengal government’s proposal for talks to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse after the state rejected their demand for live streaming of the meeting.

The protestors who reached the secretariat (Nabanna) at around 5.25 pm, some 25 minutes past the scheduled time of commencement of the meeting, stayed put at the venue threshold for over an hour and were seen engaged in meetings even as a high-strung battle of nerves ensued between the two sides with both staying firm on their respective stands. 

Senior police officials at the venue, including DGP Rajeev Kumar, ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar and even state chief secretary Manoj Pant, who were seen engaged in back-to-back discussions with the doctors’ delegation and other officials, failed to convince the unrelenting doctors who refused to budge.

All this while, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was reportedly waiting at the venue to take part in the meeting.

‘Waited For 2 Hours…’

"We waited for two hours to meet the doctors. We had written to them, and they said they would come, which is why we made these arrangements. We wanted to have an open discussion. The Chief Secretary, Director-General of Police, and Home Secretary were all present,” Mamata Banerjee stated, blaming the doctors for impasse.

On the matter of live streaming the meeting, the Chief Minister clarified, “Since the matter is sub judice, it is not possible to broadcast it live. I made three attempts to speak with the junior doctors to resolve the protest. I will not take any action against them and will forgive them, as we are elders.”  

‘Live Streaming Not Possible’

“We had conveyed in our letter that live streaming would not be possible but had given our assurances that we would have the whole session recorded for documentation and posterity. The chief minister has been waiting for them for the last hour and a 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,” said Chief Secretary Pant.

The top bureaucrat maintained that since the intention of fixing the anomalies in the health sector is common to both sides, there shouldn’t be any conflict between the doctors and state administration. 

What Protesting RG Kar Doctors Had Demanded?

• Representation by a Delegate Team: Doctors demand to send a team of at least 30 representatives for the meeting.
• Live Telecast of the Meeting: Doctors insist on a live broadcast for the sake of transparency. They want the general public and all stakeholders to have a clear understanding of the discussions, decisions, and any agreements reached.
• Meeting Based on 5-Point Demands: The core focus of the meeting should be centred around the five key demands that the doctors have previously outlined.
• Presence of the Chief Minister: Doctors want the Chief Minister to be present at the meeting.    

Earlier, the state government had reached out to the protesters, inviting them for a meeting at the state secretariat, Nabanna, to discuss a resolution. However, the doctors dismissed this invitation as "insulting" because it came from the state health secretary, whose resignation they are demanding. They also objected to the government's decision to limit the number of attendees to 10.

The doctors are currently defying a Supreme Court order requiring them to return to work by 5 pm on September 10. The Court had instructed the doctors to resume their duties and directed the state government not to take punitive action against them. The protesting doctors have stated that they will not resume work until their demands are addressed. They have set up shelters, and provided fans, food, and water, signalling their intention to continue the protests until their conditions are met.

In addition to demanding the resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and senior health officials, the doctors are calling for improved working conditions for healthcare staff in the state’s hospitals. The protest, which has spread across Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal, was sparked by the rape and murder of a 31-year-old postgraduate trainee doctor in a seminar room at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.