West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Saturday, visited agitating junior doctors at Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata with a request to resume thier duty.
The doctors are protesting against the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Addressing the protesters, the West Bengal CM said, “I have come forward by leading the student movement, I have also struggled a lot in my life, I understand your struggle. I am not worried about my position. It rained all night yesterday, you were sitting here protesting, I was worried all night.”
Ms Banerjee assured the junior doctors that she will study their demands and find a solution.
“After listening to your demands, I will study them. I do not run the government alone, I will definitely find a solution by studying your demands with senior officials. Whoever is found guilty will definitely be punished. I am asking for some time from you,” she said in a Bengali.
The Bengal chief minister requested the the protesting doctors to return to work, saying the state government will not take any action against them.
“The state government will not take any action against you (protesting doctors). I request you to return to work… All the work related to the development, infrastructure, security of the hospital has been started and will be done further…,” she added.
The doctors have been protesting following the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, defying both a Supreme Court order and the government’s repeated appeals.
Earlier on Thursday, the doctors refused to turn up for a meeting called by Ms Banerjee to address their concern and end the deadlock. She reportedly waited for nearly one and half hours but the doctors remained outside the meeting venue.
They had demanded for a live telecast of their meeting with Banerjee.
However, West Bengal Chief Secretary, Manoj Pant, conveyed that while live streaming was not feasible, the entire session would be documented through video recording.