West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to incite communal tension in the state by telling doctors that they should not see Muslim patients.
Mamata Banerjee named Home Minister of India Amit Shah of inciting communal tension in West Bengal.
“It is the Home Ministry…Amit Shah who is trying to create trouble here. The BJP is using the situation to create a communal divide. How can you divide patients into Hindus or Muslims? They spread their dangerous propaganda during elections and now this,” the West Bengal CM told news channel India Today.
“BJP is trying to create communal tension… that doctors should not see Muslim patients. They should only see BJP patients,” she said, blaming the BJP for the situation that appears to be fast spiralling out of her hands.
Mamata Banerjee, meanwhile, has written to senior doctors and professors of medical colleges and hospitals urging them to make sure that health services are not affected.
“Please take care of all patients, poor people are coming from all districts. I’ll be obliged and honoured if you all please take full care of hospitals. they must run smoothly and peacefully,” she stated.
The strike by junior doctors at the Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College in Kolkata is ongoing.
The strike and protest was triggered after an intern was beaten up by a mob after a 75-year-old patient died on the night of June 10.
Mamata Banerjee has warned the agitating doctors of strict action if they continue their protest, however, they are firm on their stand demanding proper security at hospitals and medical colleges.
A four-hour deadline set by Mamata Banerjee for doctors to resume work failed to cut any ice with the protesters who demand proper safeguards for them to be able to function properly.
A team of doctors also met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at Raj Bhavan over the issue and said the chief minister’s reaction to their protest was unexpected.
