Mamata Banerjee says she is 'ready to resign' as stalemate in junior doctors' protests continues | Latest India News

The doctors protesting against the alleged rape and murder of a colleague at RG Kar Medical College reached the venue around 5.25pm ​​and remained outside the gates in a tense standoff with government officials for over an hour.

Mamata Banerjee, who had met the doctors as part of her efforts to end the strike, waited in the hall for over an hour. Despite the state government's assurance that the meeting would be recorded for transparency reasons, the doctors insisted on a live broadcast of the meeting.

The state's chief minister, Manoj Pant, had earlier said live streaming was not possible but promised to provide a full video recording of the session.

“The Chief Minister has been waiting for over an hour and a half now. We have tried to explain to the doctors that their demand for a live stream cannot be fulfilled but we are ready to document the entire session. There should be a limit to such demands,” Pant told reporters, urging the doctors to reconsider their stance.

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The meeting was supposed to address the doctors' complaints about the handling of their colleague's death. The body of the 31-year-old junior doctor was found with severe injuries on August 9, sparking outrage in the medical community and leading to nationwide protests that have severely disrupted healthcare in government hospitals.

What Mamata Banerjee said about the stalemate

CM Mamata Banerjee, visibly frustrated but conciliatory, expressed her willingness to forgive the protesting doctors despite the impasse.

“I have tried to talk to the junior doctors thrice to end the standoff at RG Kar. I still say that I will not take any action against them for not coming and making us wait for two hours. I will forgive them because as elders, it is our responsibility to forgive our juniors,” Banerjee said.

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Banerjee also apologised to the people of Bengal for the ongoing crisis. “I apologise to the people of Bengal who were expecting an end to the impasse in RG Kar today… I am ready to resign from my post for the welfare of the people. I do not want the chairmanship, I want justice (for the deceased) and treatment for the people (patients),” the chief minister added.

With PTI inputs