West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in her recent statement declared that she is ready to resign amid the ongoing deadlock over a protest by junior doctors. The doctors are boycotting work in response to the horrific rape-murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata.
“I don’t desire the Chief Minister’s post,” Banerjee stated during a press briefing. “Our government has faced significant challenges and insults. There is a political agenda behind these protests. People are demanding justice, but it seems some are more interested in political gains than actual resolution. I am prepared to step down if it serves the greater good,” she added. Her comments underscore her belief that the protests, particularly those against the brutal crime at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, have been politicized by her rivals, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left.
However, BJP leader Amit Malviya on the social media handle X, shares a picture of the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and quotes saying, “Indira Gandhi, the dictator who imposed Emergency, allowed live telecast of student leader Sitaram Yechury submitting a memorandum to her in 1977, after which she stepped down as Chancellor of JNU.”
Comapring the Indira Gandhi era with the present Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, he added, “So, by extension, Mamata Banerjee, who didn’t agree to live telecast of her meeting with Junior Doctors is a bigger dictator. She has also offered to resigned. Let her announce the date too. West Bengal can’t afford her as Chief Minister any longer.”
Indira Gandhi, the dictator who imposed Emergency, allowed live telecast of student leader Sitaram Yechury submitting a memorandum to her in 1977, after which she stepped down as Chancellor of JNU.
So, by extension, Mamata Banerjee, who didn’t agree to live telecast of her… pic.twitter.com/XJENtw0sxH
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 13, 2024
Mamata Banerjee Resignation Statement
The situation remained tense throughout the day. One protester asserted, “We are not interested in her resignation or her position. This is not a political movement but a national one. We are fighting for justice for Abhaya,” referring to the victim, whose name means “fearless” in Bengali. The doctors’ strike will continue until their demands are met.
The standoff continued as the Trinamool Congress (TMC), Banerjee’s party, posted on X a photo of the Chief Minister seated in front of empty chairs, which were prepared for a meeting with the junior doctors. The doctors had requested that the meeting be broadcast live, a condition the government could not accept. The deadlock persisted as the parties failed to reach an agreement.
“We waited for over two hours,” Banerjee remarked after the meeting with the doctors fell apart for the second consecutive day before it could even start. She reiterated that the ongoing strike had severely impacted healthcare services in West Bengal, noting that 27 patients had died since the protests began last month.
In response, the TMC urged the doctors to end their strike. “For the sake of the lives at stake, please resume your duties. We seek your cooperation in these challenging times,” the party posted. While the government had initially proposed a smaller delegation for the meeting, it eventually agreed to accommodate a 30-member team. However, the request for a live telecast was denied due to legal constraints, with the state offering to record the meeting instead.
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The impasse highlights the deep divisions and high stakes involved in resolving the crisis affecting West Bengal’s healthcare system.
