The Supreme Court directives on the safety measures, especially for women professionals in public healthcare, were welcomed by all major political forces in Bengal, with Trinamool agreeing with the Opposition parties that it was a step in the right direction.

Bengal’s ruling party reaffirmed its commitment to complying with all the Supreme Court directives and urged junior doctors, protesting for over a month in the RG Kar rape and murder of their colleague, to resume work.

They reminded the young doctors that chief minister Mamata Banerjee accepted most of their core demands late on Monday night. The Opposition claimed that the apex court’s observations endorsed their concerns.

“The safety of women has always been a priority for the state government. Security arrangements in all medical colleges will be thoroughly overhauled. Our chief minister has already requested junior doctors to return to work, a sentiment echoed by the court,” said junior health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Tuesday. Bhattacharya was part of the long meeting between the delegation of protesting junior doctors and Mamata at her Kalighat residence on Monday.

The BJP welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the state government’s Rattirer Sathi (Companions of the Night) programme aimed at ensuring the safety of women working night shifts.

“The Supreme Court made the right call. The state government cannot bar female doctors from night duty or restrict their work hours. Gender-based differentiation is regressive and discriminatory,” said the BJP’s leader of the Opposition
Suvendu Adhikari.

CPM state secretary Md Salim also praised the apex court’s ruling, saying: “Unlike the previous hearing, this hearing (on Tuesday) addressed the real issues. The state was trying to limit women’s rights. A mere budget allocation isn’t enough. Security must be visibly improved to ensure doctors feel safe on returning to work.”

Asked, a senior Trinamool leader said: “We don’t want the women to stay away from work at night.”

“This was a temporary measure, but as the Supreme Court has directed us we will withdraw the notification. We also want the safety of women at their workplace,” he added.

The BJP’s chief spokesperson for Bengal, Samik Bhattacharya, said the Supreme Court has also rightly pointed out that the responsibility of security in medical colleges cannot be handed over to contractual staff.

“A civic volunteer is responsible for the rape and murder. After that, how can junior doctors trust the contractual staff?” he asked. The Rajya Sabha member was referring to the state’s plan to contractually appoint 1,514 security personnel in hospitals through private agencies, which was struck down by the Supreme Court.

Like Trinamool, the BJP, however, does believe that junior doctors should get back to work, as their prolonged cease-work has been hurting poor patients of the state.

“The state government was forced to accept the demand of junior doctors. At this juncture, the junior doctors should go back to work but they should continue on with their movement. We express our solidarity,” said Bhattacharya.

“We have only one demand — the resignation of the chief minister, also the home and health minister, because she is at the root of all problems,” he said.