Mamata Ready to Quit as Doctor Strike Stalemate Continues

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed her willingness to resign as protests by doctors against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College intensified. The doctors, who are demanding a larger delegation and a live telecast of the meeting with the government, refused to hold talks for the third consecutive day.

Mamata Banerjee stated that her government was committed to resolving the issue, but hinted that the protests were politically motivated, possibly backed by the Left. “I am even ready to quit for justice, but they only want power, not justice,” she said.

The Chief Minister further alleged that the protests were part of a conspiracy to destabilize her government. Due to the ongoing doctors’ strike, 27 patients have reportedly died in government hospitals over the last month due to a lack of medical services.

She waited for two hours at the state secretariat for the doctors, who eventually arrived but refused to meet her, demanding that the meeting be live-streamed. Mamata Banerjee mentioned that her government was open to the demand for a live telecast but was constrained by legal challenges as the matter was under the court’s consideration.

“We had full arrangements to record the meeting for transparency and were even ready to share the recording with Supreme Court’s approval,” Banerjee said.

The Chief Minister also criticized the doctors for bringing a larger delegation than agreed upon, which added to the stalemate. Despite this, the state government was willing to proceed with the meeting, but the doctors declined to enter the meeting venue.

Banerjee added that lives were being lost due to the continued strike, emphasizing the impact on patients, including the recent death of an accident victim at RG Kar Hospital.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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