The directive to protesting doctors to return to work by 5pm on Tuesday was the one aspect of the day’s developments at the Supreme Court that brought the ruling Trinamul Congress and the Opposition BJP on the same page on Monday.

Education minister Bratya Basu and Barrackpur MP Partha Bhowmick said the Supreme Court proceedings essentially vindicated the concerns raised by Trinamul national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

“We want to thank the honourable Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud. He made an important statement, ‘Protest can’t be at the cost of duty’. He took note of the suffering of the poor in Bengal and urged the protesting doctors to resume work,” said Basu, who addressed a press conference alongside Bhowmick.

“Taking note of what the CJI said, we issue yet another appeal to junior doctors to return to their work,” he added. “They have been on strike for a month now. At least 24 people have died till now on account of the lack of (public) medical services.”

“The Supreme Court’s decision today shows that his statement was in the right spirit,” said Basu, adding that because of the ongoing strike of doctors, lakhs of people were unable to avail of public healthcare services.

The minister underscored that measures were being taken on a war footing by Nabanna to ensure that most key demands, mainly about workplace safety, of the protesting doctors were promptly met.

MP Bhowmick said it was unfortunate that most had moved away from the principal — universally agreed on — demand of speedy justice for the RG Kar victim.

“It has been around 27 days since the CBI took over the case. Even today, the Supreme Court had to ask the CBI to submit yet another report on the day of the next hearing. A few days ago, CBI counsel was absent from the bail hearing for the main accused in the rape and murder case. This shows that the CBI has been unprepared,” he said.

“All demands of the junior doctors have been accepted…. Even after that, the chief minister has said that if they want to talk about more issues, the doors for dialogue with her are ajar,” he added. “The doctors should remember that the poor revere them as gods. They should conduct themselves in a way that is worthy of the respect accorded to them.”

The BJP, while highlighting other aspects of the Supreme Court hearing deemed critical of the ruling dispensation, urged the junior doctors to resume their duties while simultaneously continuing with their protest.

“We have always supported the protest movement of the junior doctors and will continue doing so. But at the same time, we request them to get back to work. Let them rejoin the duty and carry on with the protest. They can sit on dharna after their work is over. It could be done rotationally,” said BJP state general secretary Jagannath
Chattopadhyay.

“We must not forget that poor people come to the government hospitals, and they should not be deprived of the services,” he added.

The Congress’s Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the Supreme Court had done the right thing by asking protesting doctors to return to work.

“Mamata Banerjee is trying to use this to increase pressure on the doctors. Earlier, she threatened them. Now, she will try to alienate them,” he said.

CPM state secretary Md. Salim said it should ultimately be left for the doctors to decide on the further course of action for their movement.

“They are fighting for justice, for their safety, and that should be respected. We cannot become judgmental. We are not in a position to say whether they should resume work or not,” he said.