WB Junior Doctors Front ends ties with Former President over Executive Committee dispute
Kolkata: Amidst ongoing demands for justice in the Kolkata RG Kar rape-murder case, the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) on Wednesday announced that it has severed all ties with its former president, Aniket Mahato, the organisation’s, following differences over the formation of its executive committee.
Mahato tendered his resignation in December 2025, stating, “I think the way this committee is being formed, without fixing the specific relationship between the trust and the executive committee, and ignoring legal advice, is completely undemocratic and is not consistent with the movement demanding justice for Abhaya. I have repeatedly expressed my objections to this matter, and have asked to seek legal advice, but you have not heeded.”
In his resignation letter, Dr Mahato clarified that when the state government took a vindictive decision and illegally changed the postings of doctors, he decided to go to court in protest instead of joining the changed place. Previously, Medical Dialogues reported that despite the Supreme Court directing the government to post junior doctor Aniket Mahato at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, he did not receive any posting order. Following this, Mahato announced that he would not serve as a senior resident in a state-run hospital.
The Association further claimed that Mahato has sought Rs 30 lakh from people to pay the bond money for not serving as a senior resident in state-run hospitals and clarified that the association in no way supports this action.
In a press release, the association said that after the former president’s resignation, an online meeting was called for 7 PM on January 1 to resolve this disagreement. Around 3 PM that day, Aniket's resignation letter was published on Facebook and other social media platforms. After this, multiple emails were sent to the doctor by the association, but no response was received. The offer to sit down for discussions was not accepted.
The decision to collect money from the public for the bond waiver was not WBJDF's. According to organizational decisions, the organization covered Aniket's legal expenses. However, regarding leaving his senior residency, Aniket prioritized his personal decision over the organization's decision regarding crowdfunding. Therefore, the WBJDF leadership declared that their organizational relationship with Aniket has been severed. They clearly stated that they cannot take responsibility for this public money.
“WBJDF respects the sacrifices of all junior doctors, all healthcare workers, Swiggy delivery agents, rickshaw pullers, and all ordinary people who have faced state repression for joining the Abhaya movement. This sacrifice will guide the movement in the future. They hope that they may meet their old comrade again on the path of this movement, perhaps in a future street protest,” the association added.
Meanwhile, the official WBJDF website was formally launched on Wednesday. The leadership appealed to the general public to register in the WBJDF Companion section to show solidarity with the movement and to expand its reach. The annual membership fee is nine rupees, a decision made to keep the memory of August 9th alive at every moment. They also announced that they will upload important public health information, videos, and necessary lectures and videos for medical students on their YouTube channel.
