Mamata Banerjee on stalemate with protesting doctors: 'I apologise to Bengal people'

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday addressed a press conference amid a stalemate with protesting doctors over their slew of demands, including justice for the family of a rape and murder victim that triggered nationwide outrage. Banerjee offered to resign from the CM post, saying that she was ready to quit if it (resignation) would benefit the people and ensure justice in the murder and rape case.

"I apologise to the people of Bengal who expected an end to the RG Kar impasse today. They (junior doctors) came to Nabanna but did not sit for the meeting. I request them to go back to work," Banerjee told a press conference.

"I am ready to resign for the sake of the people as, despite my best intentions and efforts in the last three days, the medics declined to hold talks," the chief minister said.

"We waited for two hours for the meeting with junior doctors, but they didn't enter the venue. As the RG Kar Hospital rape and murder case is sub-judice, the meeting with junior doctors cannot be live streamed as demanded by them," she said.

No meeting between protesting doctors and CM despite efforts

The chief minister's press conference came amid reports that the protesting doctors agreed to hold talks in the presence of the CM to resolve the RG Kar hospital impasse, agitating junior doctors Thursday announced their decision to attend the proposed meeting at the state secretariat within the stipulated time of 5 pm.

The medics, however, declared that they would stick to their original demand of taking part in the meeting with 30 members instead of 15 people as mandated by the state government. The protesters also asserted that they would not settle for anything less than a live stream of the talks, which had been rejected by the state government.

Why is there demand for a live stream of meeting?

The doctors insisted on having a live stream of the proceedings of the proposed meeting on grounds that they “have nothing to hide”.

“Moreover, thousands of junior doctors are simultaneously holding protests in far-flung districts of Bengal. They should know what is happening at the meeting. If the CM can hold her administrative meetings in districts on live TV and if Supreme Court proceedings can be telecast live, we see no reason why the same can’t happen here,” the doctor said.

Earlier on Thursday, the West Bengal government gave a 5 pm slot for a meeting to end the impasse, but rejected the protesters’ demand for live telecast of the talks. This was the third offer from the state government for talks in the last two days, with the agitators rejecting the previous two proposals and setting concrete conditions for the meet.