‘I’ve Come Here As Your Didi’: Mamata Banerjee Meets Kolkata Doctors At Protest Site, Says…

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday met junior doctors at the protest site and urged them to return to work amid deadlock over talks to end a work boycott and said, “I have come (to meet you) like your elder sister.” Junior doctors are protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. “Seniors won’t be able to work without you,” Mamata Banerjee said.

“I have come forward by leading the student movement, I have also struggled a lot in my life, I understand your struggle. I am not worried about my position. It rained all night yesterday, you were sitting here protesting, I was worried all night…After listening to your demands, I will study them. I do not run the government alone, I will definitely find a solution by studying your demands with senior officials. Whoever is found guilty will definitely be punished. I am asking for some time from you. The state government will not take any action against you (protesting doctors). I request you to return to work… All the work related to the development, infrastructure, and security of the hospital has been started and will be done further …” the Bengal CM said.

BJP Reacts

West Bengal BJP chief and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar told CNN-News18 that Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the protest site accomplished nothing. “She did not discuss anything…there is no difference,” he said.

A few days ago Mamata Banerjee mentioned that she was ready to resign. Who is preventing the resignation? Her own family wants her to resign,” he added.

BJP leader Amit Malviya alleged the Bengal CM “didn’t even listen to the protesting doctors” and claimed her visit to the protest site was “just a media photo-op to sow seeds of suspicion among the medical fraternity”.

“Mamata Banerjee went to the site of Junior Doctors’ protest, on her way to Swasthya Bhawan, made a 5 minute speech, only to be accosted by slogans for justice. She didn’t interact or for that matter even hear the protesting doctors. This was just a media photo-op to sow seeds of suspicion among the medical fraternity. She must be condemned in the strongest possible terms for being sly and insincere. She clearly lacks intent to resolve the impasse and deliver justice to the rape and murder victim of RG Kar Medical College & Hospital. Her inflated ego is damaging West Bengal’s public healthcare sector,” Malviya wrote in an X post.

While addressing the media on Thursday, Mamata Banerjee said she was “ready to resign” after TMC shared on X a photo of Banerjee sitting in front of a row of empty chairs, presumably kept ready for the delegation of junior doctors, who had demanded a live telecast of the meeting. The two sides could not reach a middle ground, therefore, the deadlock dragged on.

“I don’t want the CM’s post,” Banerjee said in an address to the media. “Our government has faced a lot of insult…There is a colour [political colour in the protests]. People came out on the streets for justice. But I hope people are understanding that…they [her rivals] just want the chair. I am ready to resign in the interest of the people,” she added.