Bengal Guv Announces Social Boycott of CM Mamata Banerjee Over RG Kar Medical College
Crisis In a dramatic turn of events, the Governor of West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose announced his decision to “socially boycott” Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid rising tensions over the RG Kar Medical College crisis. The stalemate, which brought medical services at all levels to a grinding halt throughout the state, centers upon the rape and murder of a woman trainee doctor and the subsequent strike of junior doctors. The issue has snowballed into a political confrontation with vast public outcry and a breach between the top most political leadership in this state.
Announcement of Boycott by Governor
On Thursday, the Governor launched a full-throated attack against the state government over its failure to contain the crisis at RG Kar Medical College. Bose said, “The statewide uproar over the incident and the alleged non-action of the government in this regard prompted me to announce “social boycott” of Chief Minister Banerjee.”.
“In solidarity with the Bengal society, I resolve that I will socially boycott the chief minister,” Governor Bose announced. “This means I will not share any public platform with the chief minister nor will I participate in any public programme which involves the chief minister.”
However, Bose explained that the boycott would not affect his constitutional duties. “My role as Governor will be confined to the constitutional obligations which I have discharged in respect of the chief minister. Nothing more, nothing less,” he said, underlining that his duties would be carried out in continuation with his office.
The RG Kar Medical College Crisis
The perennial RG Kar Medical College crisis has brought health services in West Bengal to a grinding halt. A day after the alleged rape and murder of a female trainee doctor-a trigger- the unrest sparked protests, struck junior doctors for 33 days uninterruptedly. Though the Supreme Court asked them to resume work, doctors continued their strike, creating severe impunity on patient care across state-run hospitals.
This move has attracted sharp criticism from different quarters, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly airing her frustration over the deadlock. On Thursday, Banerjee held a press conference and in an impassionate plea to the striking doctors asked them to go back to work for the sake of the patients.
Mamata Banerjee Appeals for Resolution
Banerjee, while addressing the media, sounded very frustrated since the doctors were not coming to the negotiating table. She said she had waited for more than two hours at the state secretariat in Nabanna, expecting negotiations with the striking doctors. But the negotiation did not materialize as the doctors insisted that the meeting be live-streamed-a demand Banerjee termed impossible since the case was sub judice.
“For the people, I am ready to quit,” said Banerjee, while apologizing to the public because of the ongoing stalemate. “I thought the junior doctors would talk for the sake of patients and on humanitarian grounds.”
Despite appealing a number of times, the agitating doctors refused to budge and press for entry into the secretariat, allowing live-streaming so that transparency was ensured in the deliberations. In reply, Banerjee offered to record the meeting and send a footage to the Supreme Court for approval, but this was not enough to break the logjam.
Impact of the Crisis
The strike by junior doctors has taken a heavy toll on the healthcare system of West Bengal. She had claimed 27 patients died and close to 7 lakh people were affected due to the crisis. The protracted disruption to the medical services has placed the patients and their families in an precarious condition, with many struggling to get even basic care.
Banerjee, extending sympathy to the victims of the alleged crime at RG Kar Medical College, said the striking doctors needed to come back to work in deference to the Supreme Court’s order. She pointed out that her government had shown restraint by not taking any action against the doctors, despite the severity of the situation.
“I too want justice for the victims, but the doctors must rejoin work following the SC verdict,” Banerjee said, appealing to the striking medical professionals to evaluate the larger humanitarian aspect of the situation.
Allegations of External Influence
In a dramatic twist, Banerjee insinuated that forces outside the hospital were influencing the junior doctors to prolong the strike. She also suggested that the refusal to negotiate was politically motivated, hinting that forces were at work to destabilize her government.
“Many tried to malign our government even on social media. They want the chair. I am ready to resign from my post for the sake of the people. I don’t want the chair,” said Banerjee, reiterating that she was very willing to step down and if that would resolve the crisis, then so be it.
It now looks like a building narrative that the political rivals are using the RG Kar impasse to demoralize the state government and further complicate things to get the situation out of this mess,” she said.
A Standoff with No End in Sight
This growing suspense between the Governor Bose and Chief Minister Banerjee made things all the more complex. The stand-off when Your Lordship announced his decision to socially boycott her threatens to eclipse the immediate need to resolve the healthcare crisis.
While the representative of the doctors, Bose, charged the state government with mismanaging the affair, West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee was repeating her appeal to the doctors to go back to work. The standoff remains unabated, and so are the people of West Bengal caught up in the middle of growing political and healthcare turmoil.
Conclusion
The RG Kar Medical College crisis has crippled not only healthcare services in West Bengal but also started a political standoff between Governor CV Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. As the strike by junior doctors entered its 33rd day, the impasse has caused widespread disruption and public outcry. While Banerjee has offered to resign in an effort to defuse the crisis, the social boycott of the chief minister by the governor gave the crisis an altogether new dimension. The crisis is continuing unabated with no solution visible on the horizon as yet.
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