'For People's Sake, I Am Ready To Resign': Mamata Banerjee Amid Impasse Over RG Kar Issue

Mamata Banerjee said 27 people have died and 7 lakh patients are suffering because of the ongoing protest by junior doctors over the RG Kar rape and murder.

File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Source : PTI

Amid stand-off with protesting doctors over the RG Kar issue, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she is willing to resign in the interest of people.

She also expressed regret to the people of Bengal "who had hoped for an end to the RG Kar protest today."

"I am ready to resign from the Chief Minister of West Bengal. I am not concerned about the post. I want justice, I am only concerned about justice getting served," Mamata Banerjee said in a virtual address on Thursday evening.

VIDEO | "I apologise to the people of Bengal...they were expecting that this issue will be resolved today. We are waiting for them for three days. I request junior doctors to contribute to work and save the people of Bengal. I waited three days with my highest officials." says… pic.twitter.com/A9ShsrBUEE

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 12, 2024

Mamata's reaction comes after the agitating junior doctors, who were scheduled to hold talks the Bengal government to resolve the RG Kar impasse, refused to meet unless their demand for live streaming of the meeting was met.

 

The talks were to be held at 5 pm in the presence of CM Mamata Banerjee as demanded by the protesters. The CM waited for two hours to meet the agitating junior doctors. But the doctors, after reaching the secretariat around 5.25 pm, stayed put at the venue gate.

 

Speaking over the impasse, she said she would not take any action against agitating junior doctors, adding that 27 people have died and 7 lakh patients are suffering because of the ongoing protest by junior doctors over the RG Kar rape and murder.

VIDEO | "We have been waiting for over two hours to meet our doctor brothers and sister who were invited here. We wrote them a letter and they wrote us back assuring that they will come... Only after receiving their confirmation, we invited them but it's been two hours and there… pic.twitter.com/acJ1g6hlC9

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 12, 2024

"We have been waiting for over two hours to meet our doctor brothers and sister who were invited here. We wrote them a letter and they wrote us back assuring that they will come... Only after receiving their confirmation, we invited them but it's been two hours and there is no communication from them yet. We asked them to come with an open mind and talk about any issue. Solutions can only be found through dialogues," she said.

 

"I am still saying that I will not take any action against them for not coming and making us wait for two hours. I will forgive them because being elders, it is our responsibility to forgive our younger ones," she added.

 

"I tried thrice to hold talks with junior doctors to end RG Kar stalemate," the Bengal CM added.

 

The junior doctors began their strike on August 9, hours after the body of the trainee doctor was found in the seminar room of the hospital. Since then, the protest has escalated, leading to disruptions in healthcare services at state-run hospitals across West Bengal.