West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee denied claims that she threatened protesting doctors during her speech on Wednesday and added she fully backs their demand. Mamata had urged doctors protesting over Kolkata trainee doctor rape and murder case to return to work on Wednesday.
The Trinamool Congress leader said a malicious disinformation campaign is being carried out against her, based on her speech during her party’s students wing programme on Wednesday. “I detect a malicious disinformation campaign in some print, electronic and digital media which has been unleashed with reference to a speech that I made in our students' programme yesterday. Let me most emphatically clarify that I have not uttered a single word against the (medical etc.) students or their movements. I totally support their movement. Their movement is genuine. I never threatened them, as some people are accusing me of doing,” Mamata said in a post on X.
The West Bengal CM said her comments were directed against the Bharatiya Janata Party, who were trying to disrupt peace in the state. Mamata charged the BJP is trying to create lawlessness in the state. “I have spoken against them because, with the support of the Government of India, they are threatening the democracy in our State and trying to create anarchy. With support from Centre, they are trying to create lawlessness and I have raised my voice against them,” she said.
Mamata added she was also only quoting Ramakrishna Paramahansa when she said "phonsh kara". “The phrase ("phonsh kara") that I had used in my speech yesterday is a quote from Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa Deva. The legendary saint had said that occasionally there is need to raise one's voice. When there are crimes and criminal offences, voice of protest has to be raised. My speech on that point was a direct allusion to the great Ramakrishnite saying,” Mamata said.
On Wednesday, addressing the foundation day rally of the party’s students wing - Trinamool Chhatra Parishad, Mamata batted for strong laws for crimes against women and urged protesting doctors to return to work. The CM said she didn't want to lodge FIRs against the striking doctors in consideration of their future careers.
Her words did not go down well with the protesting medics, who interpreted the chief minister's remark as a "veiled threat". They said they could not be threatened with an FIR. A member of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum said they would not withdraw the agitation unless their demands for justice for the deceased and punishment for all responsible were met.
As Mamata's words reached them, the junior doctors began chanting. "Don't scare us with an FIR!"