Mamata Banerjee Ready To "Quit" Amidst RG Kar Medical College Crisis

Kolkata – West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a defiant statement on Thursday, said she was prepared to “quit her chair” in the interest of justice, but alleged that the ongoing protests over the rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College were politically motivated, aiming to destabilize her government.

Banerjee expressed her willingness to engage in talks with the striking doctors, who have continued their protest despite a Supreme Court directive to return to work by September 10.

The doctors are demanding justice for the brutal killing of a female trainee doctor, which has triggered a month-long healthcare crisis across the state.

“I know most of the doctors were interested in the meeting, but we have come to know there were a handful who wanted to create a stalemate,” Banerjee said, hinting that political forces, particularly the Left, were backing the agitation to topple her government.

“I am ready to quit for the sake of justice for the common people, but they don’t want justice, they just want the chair,” Banerjee remarked, adding that the doctors’ refusal to engage in talks further fueled her suspicions of political interference.

The Chief Minister revealed that she waited for two hours at the state secretariat to meet the protesting doctors, who refused to enter the meeting unless it was live-streamed.

Banerjee said her government was open to live-streaming the talks but noted that legal restrictions prevented them from broadcasting details of a case that was still sub-judice.

“We had full arrangements to record the meeting for transparency and would have shared it with the Supreme Court’s approval,” she said. “But the doctors refused to engage even though we were ready for an open dialogue.“

With no breakthrough in sight, the standoff has further strained the state’s healthcare system. Banerjee disclosed that 27 patients have died due to the disruption in medical services over the last month, including an accident victim at RG Kar hospital who died without receiving treatment.

“An accident patient recently died at RG Kar hospital without treatment. What about his mother and family?” she asked, underscoring the human toll of the ongoing crisis.

As the political drama unfolds, the future of West Bengal’s healthcare system hangs in the balance, with no immediate resolution to the impasse between the government and the agitating doctors.