Amit Malviya and doctors' association demand apology from Abhishek Banerjee

Calcutta (West Bengal) [India]September 9 (ANI): After a joint platform of doctors in West Bengal demanded an unconditional apology from Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee for his post claiming that a boy died because he was not provided medical care at RG Kar Hospital, BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya came down heavily on the TMC government and said several TMC MPs who had joined the chorus and spread the misinformation must also apologise and delete their posts.

In a post on X, Amit Malviya wrote, “Now that Mamata Banerjee has exposed the Joint Platform of Doctors in West Bengal for spreading fake news to weaken the protest of the doctors demanding JusticeForRGKar. They are demanding an unconditional apology for inciting violence and hostility towards the medical fraternity. Several TMC MPs have joined the chorus to amplify the misinformation. They too must apologise and delete their posts.” He further claimed that the TMC wanted to discredit and defuse the protests as if the young doctor was never raped and murdered.

“It is obvious that Mamata Banerjee and her entire clan are not the least bit interested in a solution or justice. After destroying all the evidence, they want to somehow discredit and diffuse the protests and carry on as if a young doctor was never raped and murdered. A sick state of affairs. Mamata Banerjee is evil and must go,” he added.

Earlier, the Joint Platform of Doctors, West Bengal had written a letter to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee stating that they wish to lodge an official protest and express their deep concern over the untrue and malicious statement posted by him on his account X (formerly Twitter) on September 6, 2024 at 10:27 pm.

The letter said, “In your post, you stated that a young boy from Konnagar died in a road accident today after bleeding for three hours without receiving any medical attention. This was a consequence of the sustained protests by the doctors in response to the RGkar incident.” The letter said that this statement was categorically false and misleading.

“The young male patient, suffering from polytrauma due to a tragic road accident, was referred to a superior centre in Srirampur and admitted to RG Kar Medical College on the same day, September 6, 2024, promptly at 9:10 am. The doctors on duty attended to him immediately and continued to provide him with care at several intervals until he unfortunately passed away at 12:30 pm as recorded in the provisional death certificate. The head part receipts along with the statement of the MSVP of RGKMCH will categorically support our claim and refute your post,” the letter said.

The letter further states that contrary to the claim, the patient did not “bleed for three hours without receiving medical attention.” “Your claim has no basis in fact and ignores the efforts of the medical professionals who did everything in their power to save the patient's life. Your public statement is not only factually incorrect but also potentially dangerous. By spreading such misinformation, you risk inciting violence and hostility against the medical community which is already under immense pressure and shock following the heinous crime committed against a junior doctor at RGKMCH on August 9, 2024. Such baseless allegations further demoralize the healthcare professionals who strive to serve the people of this state despite the hostile conditions they are currently facing,” the letter further states.

The Joint Platform of Doctors demanded an unconditional public apology from Abhishek Banerjee.

“In light of these facts, we demand that you unconditionally apologize publicly to the medical profession and immediately retract your false statement. It is imperative that political leaders like you take responsibility and ensure that your words do not inflame tensions or lead to further unrest. We expect you to set the record straight and take immediate remedial action to prevent any potential repercussions of your misleading post,” the letter from the Joint Platform of Doctors continued.

In a post for X, Abhishek Banerjee wrote on September 6, “A young boy from Konnagar lost his life in a road accident today after bleeding for three hours without receiving medical attention. This was a result of the ongoing protests by doctors in response to the RGKar incident. While the junior doctors' demands are both fair and valid, I request them to protest in a manner that does not compromise basic medical care. Allowing a death due to avoidable neglect is tantamount to culpable homicide. If the protest has to continue, it should be done constructively, with empathy and humanity to ensure that no more life is put at risk due to inaction or neglect.” (ANI)