Mamta Banerjee gives in to protests of doctors : Vineet Goyal to resign very soon

News Mania Desk/ Piyal Chatterjee / 17th September 2024

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced the dismissal of Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal from his office, following a furious protest by doctors over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital. Following a six-hour conference with doctors calling for improved safety protocols in hospitals and justice for the victim, a decision was made.
Along with Goyal’s resignation, the deputy commissioner of police (North Division), who has been accused by the victim’s family of bribery, will also be dismissed of his duties, according to Banerjee. The action is perceived as a direct reaction to the growing indignation and pressure from the medical community.

Banerjee went on to say that the state government had agreed to all four of the physicians’ main demands, including the most important one, which was the establishment of a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the horrific rape-murder case.
The doctors have chosen to press on with their protests in spite of these guarantees, claiming that some of their demands—most notably, the removal of the health secretary—have not been entirely fulfilled. One of the doctors spearheading the agitation declared, “We welcome the removal of the Kolkata police commissioner, but our protest will continue until all promises are implemented.”

 Banerjee highlighted that the dialogue with the doctors had been constructive. “The Kolkata police commissioner, Vineet Goyal, expressed his willingness to step down during the meeting. At 4 pm, he will officially hand over his duties to the new police commissioner,” she stated.

Banerjee also announced that a committee headed by the chief secretary has been established to address infrastructure-related concerns in the health sector. The group has pledged to conduct a thorough assessment of current facilities in order to avert similar situations in the future.
While the dismissal of senior law enforcement officers was viewed as a positive development, the doctors who are demonstrating are not convinced. The doctors made it plain that their agitation would not stop until all pledges were kept when revelries broke out at their protest site after the chief minister’s announcement.

“The removal of Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal is a moral victory for us, but our protests will continue until all our demands are met. The chief minister has promised, but we need to see concrete action,” the protesting doctors stated.