West Bengal Governor's big statement: 'Will socially boycott CM Mamata Banerjee'

As doctors' protests over the RG Kar rape and murder case continue, West Bengal Governor Ananda Bose on Thursday announced that in solidarity with the Bengal society, he will "socially boycott" the Chief Minister. 

"Socially boycott means I will not be sharing any public platform with the Chief Minister nor will I participate in any public program which involves the Chief Minister," the Governor said in a video message, adding that the government has failed in its duty.  

The Governor said that Mamata Banerjee as state home minister failed to maintain law and order situation in the state. Mamata Banerjee is also the health minister of West Bengal. Bose said that she miserably failed in containing the liquidation of the medical system in Bengal. "It is an irony that the health minister happens to be the home minister," he said.   

Bose said his role as the Governor will be confined to the constitutional obligations. "Nothing more, nothing less. I am deeply pained that serious allegations of a criminal nature have been levelled against the highest officer who is supposed to prevent crime in Kolkata, the Kolkata Police Commission," he said. 

The Governor's statement comes just hours after Banerjee offered to quit as chief minister. In a press briefing, the chief minister offered to resign "for the sake of people" and said she also want justice for the doctor, who was raped and murdered at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital. Her statement came after doctors protesting over the RG Kar incident refused to meet the chief minister. 

"I apologise to the people of Bengal who expected an end to the RG Kar impasse today. They (junior doctors) came to Nabanna but did not sit for the meeting. I request them to go back to work," Banerjee said. "I am ready to resign for the sake of the people as, despite my best intentions and efforts in the last three days, the medics declined to hold talks," the chief minister said.

Dr Anurag Mandal, a junior doctor who was part of the delegation that went to meet Banerjee, said that doctors wanted the meeting should be in front of everyone. "We don't want the recording because the recording can be edited. Everyone can see the live streaming. Our only motive is that everything should be in front of everyone. We've full faith that it (meeting) can happen. We want live streaming. Our protest will continue till we get justice."

Reacting to the chief minister's resignation offer, BJP's Roopa Ganguly said Banerjee should at least resign from the post of health minister. "Let us start tomorrow's day with this good news. She should at least resign from the post of Health Minister tomorrow."