A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that there is a political color in the protest by junior doctors against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital last month, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum on Friday vehemently refuted the claim, saying there is nothing political in their protest demonstrations.
Banerjee's comments came on Thursday after the proposed talks between Chief Minister and a 30-member delegation of the WBJDF failed to materialise as the junior doctors refused to budge from their demand to live telecast the meeting.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday evening, Banerjee said, "Our government has been insulted. But the common people do not know that there is political color to it. They do not want justice; they only want the chair. I am ready to step down. I do not want the post of Chief Minister."
The protesting doctors, speaking to mediapersons outside the Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the state health department where the junior doctors are holding a sit-in since Tuesday, said that when they did not let opposition leaders, including elected representatives, join their protest, it has been held so far in many instances.
The junior doctors said BJP Lok Sabha MP and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay and party MLA Agnimitra Paul had gone to different protest venues to express solidarity with the medics, but were met with 'Go Back' slogans.
"We, from the beginning, have been against each person who tried to politicise our protest," said an agitating doctor.
They are disappointed with the Thursday's meeting with the Chief Minister that did not fructify.
We wanted to put across our demands before the Chief Minister and hence we had gone to the Secretariat. The entire state was eagerly waiting for the meeting on Thursday. However, it now became obvious from the Chief Minister's press conference later that she was not ready to discuss specific demands, said a junior doctor.
Thursday's scheduled meeting did not materialise after the state government remained adamant on not allowing the live telecast of the meeting, a condition set by the WBJDF.
The Chief Minister later argued that since the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, live telecast of the talks was not possible.
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