Amidst the doctors’ agitation in West Bengal that has now spread across the country, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a press conference today at 6 PM where she announced that she has accepted all the demands of the doctors. Reiterating her earlier statement, Banerjee said that the protests were being triggered by the outsiders. She accused the senior doctors of using the agitation to target the state government.
Clarifying on the government’s position Banerjee said that the government was not targeting the doctors and that she did not direct the police to arrest any doctor. She claimed that she believed in democracy and that is why did not take any action against the agitating doctors under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), unlike the BJP governments. “I believe in democracy and that is why I have not invoked ESMA”, she said.
She alleged that the protesting doctors misbehaved with government representatives but the government is sensitive to the demands of the doctors and has assured their safety. “Protesting doctors misbehaved with government representatives. But, my government is sensitive to the demands of the doctors”, claimed Banerjee.
The Chief Minister said that all the expenses of the junior doctor who was seriously injured in the attack at the NRS Medical College and Hospital and is being treated at a private hospital will be borne by the government.
She appealed to the protesting doctors to resume their duties for the people who have been waiting for treatment.
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Putting the blame on doctors she said that she had sent her Ministers and Principal Secretary to meet the doctors’ delegation yesterday and today and despite waiting for 5 hours, the doctors did not turn up.
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Hundreds of Doctors have resigned en masse so far as a part of the protests against the brutal attack on the doctors at the NRS Medical College. However, Banerjee said that mass resignation had no value in the eyes of the law.
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When questioned about whether she would go to visit the NRS Medical College and Hospital where the attack had taken place, she responded aggressively and said that media would not decide where she should go. “Media won’t decide when I shall go. It’s my prerogative”, she responded.
Mamata Banerjee’s appeal to the protesting doctors to end the strike and resume work has been declined by the junior doctors who said that there was no honest effort on the part of the Chief Minister to break the deadlock and that what she said in the press conference was not true. They demanded the Chief Minister to go the NRS Medical College and Hospital to meet the doctors and take necessary steps to serve the ailing people.