New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday offered to step down from her position "for the sake of people" and said she also wants justice for the RG Kar hospital doctor's alleged rape and murder last month.
"I apologise to the people of Bengal, who expected an end to the RG Kar impasse today. They (junior doctors) came to Nabanna, but did not sit for the meeting. I request them to go back to work," CM Mamata said during an ongoing press conference.
"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," the Chief Minister further stated.
Pointing out that 27 patients died and approximately seven lakh people suffered because of the ongoing 'cease work' by the junior doctors, Banerjee said, I too want justice for the victims, but the doctors must rejoin work following the Supreme Court verdict.
The Chief Minister said that she is not acting against the agitating doctors and has forgiven them, as she is "older than the doctors.""I am still saying 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 younger ones," she asserted.
"I waited for three days for them to come, but they did not come...violated the SC directive. They have not rejoined work. But we have not taken any action as at times you need to deal with such situations with patience," she said.
Banerjee said she wanted discussions with them with an open mind as solutions can be reached only through discussions. The junior doctors began their strike on August 9, hours after the body of the female trainee was found in the seminar room of the hospital. Since then, the protest has escalated, leading to disruptions in healthcare services at state-run hospitals across West Bengal. (With agency inputs)
