Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, stood up by junior doctors who were invited at the state secretariat for a meeting today, in an emotive speech said she was not enamoured of the top post in the state and was ready to step down “in the interest of the people”.
Assuring the doctors that no action will be taken against them, she said the government is always ready for a dialogue. Her anger fell on people, who, she hinted, were masterminding the protest with vested interests.
Pointing to the proliferation of anti-government messages on social media, she said, “Our government has been insulted. Common people do not know there is a political colour to it”.
The people behind the political colour, she said, “Do not want justice. They want the chair”.
“In the interest of the people, I am ready to step down. I do not want the post of the Chief Minister. I want justice for Tilottama. And I want common people to get medical treatment,” the Chief Minister said at a press conference after waiting two hours for the junior doctors’ delegation.
The doctors’ delegation had come till the gate of the secretariat for the meeting that was expected to begin at 5 pm. But they refused to enter as the government had refused one of their demands – the live transmission of the proceedings. The government, the Chief Minister had said, could not allow live transmission since the matter is being heard by the Supreme Court.
The government had accepted all other demands – including the presence of more members, 33 instead of 15, and then an extra member in the delegation that came. About live transmission, they had said they could not allow that but the proceedings will be recorded. But that proved the stumbling block for a meeting that many hoped, would end the impasse and herald the beginning of normalcy.
The protesting junior doctors have blamed the administration for its rigidity in not allowing live streaming of the meeting. Calling the Chief minister’s remarks “unfortunate”, they said, “We wanted the talks to take place”.
“However, the state administration was adamant about not allowing live streaming of the meeting. Our demands are justified. We wanted live streaming for the transparency of the meeting,” an unnamed doctor was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.
Ms Banerjee said the doctors were only carrying out instructions. “I know many in the delegation were interested in talks. But two of three people were giving instructions from outside. We have all that. We could see that because it was being recorded by the press, which were standing right behind… They were giving instructions – ‘Do not negotiate, do not go to the meeting’,” Ms Banerjee said.
The Chief Minister had waited while the debate continued outside – and she pointed out, this was not the first time. At the end of two hours, at the impromptu press conference, she said, “I apologize to the emotions of the people of Bengal. You thought this matter will be resolved today”.
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Source: NDTV
