"I am ready to resign…”: Much awaited meeting between Mamata Banerjee and protesting doctors got washed away, courtesy live streaming

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday offered to resign from her position "for the sake of the people" as the impasse between the state government and the protesting junior doctors who continue with their cease work remained unresolved. The delegation from the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front had arrived at Nabanna, the state secretariat, to meet with the Chief Minister. However, the doctors insisted that the meeting be live streamed, a demand that the authorities refused to accommodate. The stalemate continued as Banerjee left after waiting for over two hours due to the junior doctors' refusal to engage in dialogue without live streaming. Banerjee asserted she too wants justice for the murdered doctor, emphasizing her commitment to resolving the issue.

"I am ready to resign for the sake of the people as, despite my best intentions and efforts in the last three days, the junior doctors declined to hold talks,” said Mamata Banerjee. The standoff intensified when junior doctors refused to participate in a scheduled meeting unless their demand for live streaming was met. The talks, planned for 5 pm at the state secretariat, saw Banerjee waiting inside while the doctors remained outside the gates. Despite waiting for over two hours, the government received no communication from the protesters.

"We have been waiting for over two hours to meet our doctor brothers and sisters who were invited here. We wrote them a letter and they wrote us back assuring that they will come. Only after receiving their confirmation, we invited them but it's been two hours and there is no communication from them yet…Solutions can only be found through dialogues,” said the West Bengal Chief Minister.

Mamata Banerjee with folded hands also apologized to the public for the ongoing disruption over the ongoing standoff. "I apologise to Bengal people who expected an end to RG Kar impasse today." She highlighted the severe impact of the protest, revealing that "twenty-seven people died, 7 lakh patients suffering because of junior doctors' cease work,” said Banerjee.

The delegation representing the protesting junior doctors on the other hand stated that they did not seek Mamata Banerjee’s resignation but were instead focused on finding a solution to the RG Kar crisis. They expressed dissatisfaction that the anticipated talks did not proceed as planned. "This is not a fight of anyone’s ego. This is fight for justice for Abhaya. We don’t have any hidden wish to snatch someone’s chair or to cause fall of some government. We want our five-point demands,” said the protesting doctors who went to Nabanna to meet the Chief Minister.

The protest began following the brutal rape and murder of a 31-year-old PGT doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. It has led to severe disruptions in medical services across the state as the junior doctors' cease work persists despite a Supreme Court directive for them to resume their duties by 5 pm on September 10. The state government sent three letters asking the junior doctors to engage in dialogue so that their demands could be heard and they would resume their duties. However, the standoff between the Bengal government and the protesting junior doctors continues as the meeting scheduled for today could not take place.