West Bengal Mamata Banerjee will meet protesting junior doctors at her residence later today, sources speaking to News18 said. Only 15 members from the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front will be attending the meeting with the chief minister.
The doctors earlier in an email told Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that they want another meeting with her hours after she made a surprise visit to the site where they were protesting but demanded another meeting with her.
“We are more than willing to have a discussion in your esteemed presence with adequate representations and proper transparency as agreed by both the parties,” the doctors said in an emailed statement.
They said that they take Mamata Banerjee’s visit as an ‘exceptional goodwill gesture’ and a ‘welcome step’. They said the meeting will bring ‘collective clarity of our five point demands for which we have been protesting peacefully for the last thirty five days’.
“We are more than willing to have a discussion in your esteemed presence with adequate representations and proper transparency as agreed by both the parties. We are eagerly awaiting for your positive response to end this impasse,” West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressing the protesting doctors amid chants of “we want justice” outside the Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake, said she had been spending sleepless nights because the medics were agitating on the road amid rains and described her visit as the “last attempt” to resolve the crisis.
Banerjee assured the protesting doctors that she would not take any action against them as she did not believe in suppressing a democratic movement as “Bengal is not Uttar Pradesh”.
However, after she left the site, the agitating doctors said they were not ready to compromise on their demands till discussions were held, indicating no immediate breakthrough in the impasse.
Accompanied by DGP Rajiv Kumar, Banerjee reached the site in Sector 5 around 1 pm, taking those present there by surprise.
“I came to meet you as your ‘didi’ (elder sister) not as the chief minister,” she said.
“I assure you that I will study your demands and take action if someone is found guilty,” she added.
Urging the protesting doctors to return to work, Banerjee said would never allow any injustice to them.
“This is my last attempt to resolve the crisis,” she said.
“If you wish to return to work, I promise you to consider your demands sympathetically. I do not run the government alone. I will discuss your demands with the chief secretary, home secretary, and the DGP,” she said.
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