Ashamed at Mamata's inaction on onging doctors' strike: Kolkata Mayor's daughter
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's handling of the onging doctors' strike has drawn sharp criticism from Kolkata Mayor and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim's daughter, who is herself a doctor. Medicos have the right to "peaceful protest" and "safety at work, she said.
In a Facebook post, Shabba Hakim asked people to question why "goons were still surrounding hospitals and beating up doctors".
"As a TMC supporter I am deeply ashamed at the inaction and the silence of our leader," Shabba Hakim said on the social networking site close to Wednesday-Thursday midnight.
Till then Banerjee had remained silent on the issue.
"For those saying "Ono Rugider ki dosh?" (what is the fault of the other patients) Sabba suggested they should question the government as in why the police officers posted in government hospitals do little to nothing to protect doctors? Please question them that when 2 truckload of goons showed up why wasn't back up sent immediately?" Hakim asked.
"Please question why goons are still surrounding hospitals and beating up doctors?"
"We have a right to peaceful protest. We have a right to safety at work," she added.
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Striking junior doctors across West Bengal on Thursday refused to end their stir till they are provided adequate security in government hospitals and defied a deadline set by Banerjee, who alleged that opposition BJP and CPI(M) were instigating the protesters as part of a "conspiracy" and giving communal colour to the issue.
Services have been affected over the past three days in emergency wards, outpatient facilities and pathological units of many state-run medical colleges and hospitals and a large number of private medical facilities in the state due to the strike by the doctors who are protesting after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured at the NRS Medical College and Hospital by a mob following the death of a patient.
The India Medical Association has declared "All India Protest Day" on Friday against the incident and expressed solidarity with the striking doctors.
The opposition attacked Banerjee over the impasse, with the BJP accusing her of acting as "Hitler".
There was high drama as the chief minister reached the state-run SSKM hospital here at around noon amid slogans of "we want justice" by the doctors.
