Kolkata: The standoff between junior doctors and the West Bengal government took a dramatic turn on Thursday, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to resign “for the sake of the people” after protesters refused to join talks unless proceedings were live-streamed.
Banerjee’s offer to step down came after a delegation of junior doctors, who have been protesting for over a month, arrived at the state secretariat Nabanna but declined to participate in discussions unless their demand for live-streaming was met. The Chief Minister expressed frustration, accusing the protesters of seeking her “chair” rather than justice.
“They are here for the chair, not for justice. For the sake of the people, I am ready to resign. I don’t want the chief ministership,” Banerjee said during a press conference. She also apologized to the people of Bengal for the unresolved issue.
The protest began after the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9. Despite the Supreme Court’s recent directive for doctors to return to work by Tuesday evening and its warning that disciplinary actions could follow, the impasse continued.
Banerjee criticized the protesters for their insistence on live-streaming, stating that while the government was open to documenting and recording the discussions, live-streaming was not feasible due to the sub-judice nature of the case. “We have no problem with live-streaming, but the matter is currently in court. We’ve arranged for video recording, and if permitted by the Supreme Court, we can share the footage,” she said.
The junior doctors had been demanding that the Chief Minister be present at the talks and that their delegation be allowed to consist of 30 members. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant had invited them to Nabanna at 5 p.m. on Thursday, agreeing to an expanded delegation but rejecting the live-streaming request. He assured that the proceedings would be recorded to ensure transparency.
As the delegation arrived at 5:15 p.m., they were met by Home Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and other officials. Despite the government’s attempt to accommodate the doctors’ demands, the protestors remained firm on their request for live-streaming.
Dr. Aniket Mahato, a spokesperson for the protestors, expressed disappointment with the Chief Minister’s offer to resign, emphasizing that their demands were not about her position but about ensuring transparency and accountability. “We came here with our five-point demand. We are ready to wait longer for a resolution,” Mahato said.
Chief Secretary Pant and DGP Kumar reiterated the government’s commitment to dialogue, stating that while live-streaming was not standard practice for such meetings, the focus should remain on resolving the issue through open discussion.
“We are trying to convince them. Live-streaming or not is not important. Dialogue is what matters,” Pant said. “The Chief Minister has been waiting for more than an hour and a half. There is a limit to how long this can continue.”
The standoff underscores the ongoing tensions between the state government and medical professionals, with no immediate resolution in sight.
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