After Mahata quits, fissures deepen in protest forum
Times of India | 3 January 2026
Kolkata: Fissures deepened in the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front, a day after anaesthesiologist Aniket Mahata, a prominent face of RG Kar protests, walked out of the front on Thursday, following differences over executive committee elections. The Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) at RG Kar on Friday, too, withdrew its support to WBJDF until RDAs of all medical colleges in Bengal met for talks, slated for Monday.
Explaining his decision to quit WBJDF, Mahata told reporters on Friday: "I was never opposed to electing an executive committee. My contention was... the Abhaya movement included junior doctors from across state. If the executive committee doesn't have representation from all 26 medical colleges here, it's not true representation."
WBJDF sent a mail to Mahata, calling his decision "rash, self-serving and irrational". While Mahata announced his decision to give up his senior residency, a bond posting for three years upon after postgraduation, the WBJDF mail accused him of giving a dishonest statement regarding junior doctors Debashish Haldar and Asfakulla Naiya joining their posts.
Mahata, Haldar and Naiya, all prominent WBJDF faces, were given postings in colleges different from what they were given during counselling. WBJDF accused Mahata of omitting the legal battles being fought by Haldar and Naiya, distorting facts for personal glorification and to confuse the public. The forum sought a clear explanation for these words or, otherwise, "an apology". They said the two joining their senior resident posts was collective, to break the narrative that "these revolutionary doctors" did not want to go to villages.
Mahata said he did not find it necessary to respond to WBJDF mail. "I am yet to get a joining order as a senior resident at RG Kar despite the SC verdict. This is a political vendetta. I am giving up this posting but I have to pay a bond of Rs 30 lakh to the govt," said Mahata, adding he would seek crowd-funding to raise it.
Service Doctors' Forum, Medical Service Centre, Voice of Abhaya and Voice of Women also stood by Mahata.