• Source:JND
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RG Kar Rape Case: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday visited the Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata to meet the protesting doctors amid a stalemate over the RG Kar rape and murder case. Addressing the protesting doctors at Swasthya Bhawan, Mamata Banerjee said, "I've come here as your elder sister, not as your Chief Minister", as hundreds surrounded her chanting "We want justice". 

Mamata Banerjee further assured the protesting doctors that she would soon resolve their demands and urged them to return to work. "All the work related to the development, infrastructure, and security of the hospital has been started and will be done further," the chief minister said at Swasthya Bhawan.

"I have come forward by leading the student movement, I have also struggled a lot in my life, I understand your struggle. I am not worried about my position. It rained all night yesterday, you were sitting here protesting, I was worried all night," she said.

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CM Banerjee said she would not take any steps against them as she did not believe in suppressing a democratic movement. "After listening to your demands, I will study them. I do not run the government alone, I will definitely find a solution by studying your demands with senior officials," she said.

"Whoever is found guilty will definitely be punished. I am asking for some time from you. The state government will not take any action against you (protesting doctors). I request you to return to work," Mamata Banerjee said.

She also announced that all state-run hospitals' patient welfare committees were dissolved immediately, urging the doctors to return to work. "This is my last attempt to resolve the crisis," Banerjee said.

However, the junior doctors refused to end their strike and said they were not ready to compromise on their demands till discussions were held. The junior doctors had been protesting at the Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the state Health Department, since Tuesday. They are demanding better security at state-run hospitals and the removal of top officials over the rape and murder of the doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

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Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in the state on Thursday invited the junior doctors to hold talks, however, the protesting doctors refused to meet the chief minister, who, as per TMC, waited for over two hours to meet the protesters.

The doctors' refusal to meet CM Banerjee came after the West Bengal government refused to conduct live streaming of the meeting, a key demand of the protesting doctors to hold talks. The junior doctors have been protesting for over a month, affecting the public healthcare infrastructure of the state. The government claimed that 29 people have died due to the protests allegedly after not receiving treatment.