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TMC leader Lovely Maitra holds a press conference regarding her comments about protesting doctors. (Image: News18/video grab)
Trinamool Congress leader Lovely Maitra alleged that doctors were no longer interested in doing their job and, instead, have “turned into butchers” as the poor and underprivileged, who come to government hospitals, are not receiving medical treatment
In a fresh controversy over the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar hospital, a Trinamool Congress leader has compared junior doctors on protest to “butchers”. In a video that has gone viral but could not be independently verified by News18, actor-turned-politician Lovely Maitra alleged that doctors were no longer interested in doing their job and, instead, have “turned into butchers”.
The video, which was shared by national BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla on social media, purportedly shows Maitra giving a speech at a party programme two days ago. “Doctors are turning into butchers…in the name of protests. The poor and underprivileged people who come from interior parts, rural areas of Bengal seeking medical treatment at government hospitals… those who cannot afford treatment at private hospitals, they are suffering. They are not being treated… are they (doctors) human? Is this humane?” she is heard saying in Bangla.
TMC MLA Lovely Maitra compares protesting Doctors to butchersShe also happens to be wife of an IPS in Kolkata Police who have been issuing notices and summons to doctors
Why so much hate against protesting doctors? Just because they are holding Mamata Govt and her police… pic.twitter.com/ifmighrFHI
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) September 3, 2024
Hitting out at her, Poonawalla asked why she was displaying so much hatred for the protesters demanding justice for the woman doctor. “Why so much hate against protesting doctors?” he asked in a post on X.
In the same speech, the TMC leader also talked about “revenge” against those who “point a finger at (Chief Minister) Mamata Banerjee”. In another video clip from the same programme, she targets the CPI(M) saying: “In 2011, we said no revenge but change; now we are saying that in 2024 there will be revenge…we know how to deal with those who point a finger at Mamata Banerjee. We are not weak…”
Watch the video here:
She was, however, quick to issue a clarification about her statement on the protesting doctors, who are now staging a sit-in near the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar and demanding the resignation of top cop Vineet Kumar Goyal.
“Doctors are gods, poor people consider doctors as gods. But, the way they are protesting, I hope they’re not called anything other than doctors. Why are they going to Lalbazar, why not CBI? We want capital punishment too,” she said at a press conference on Tuesday (September 3).
However, a lawyer aligned with the Left, lodged a complaint against Maitra at Sonarpur police station for her “revenge” comment. Responding to the controversy, sources in the TMC said she has been asked by the leadership to refrain from making such comments going forward.
But, it looks like the damage has been done.
Maitra’s comments became more political fodder for the BJP that highlighted other similar controversial statements by TMC leaders over the past few days as junior doctors sat in protest. Poonawalla said Maitra, who “happens to be wife of an IPS in Kolkata Police who have been issuing notices and summons to doctors”, is another TMC leader who is speaking against the agitators because they are holding the Mamata Banerjee-led government and the police force accountable.
“Udayan Guha Arup Chakraborthy Kunal Ghosh Now Lovely Maitra! Will TMC sack her or defend her like it defended Dr Sandip Ghose?” he asked.