West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abesh Banerjee, who is a medical student, on Friday came out in support of the protesting doctors at the state-run hospitals.
Abesh Banerjee, whose Facebook bio describes him as the President of KPC Medical College and Hospital, was seen at a rally holding a placard that read: "You say we are Gods!! Why Treat us like Dogs?"
"Dr Abesh Banerjee, nephew of Mamata Banerjee at KPC hospital Kolkata!!#SaveTheDoctors," another doctor tweeted sharing his picture.
Earlier, Kolkata Mayor and state Minister Firhad Hakim's daughter, a doctor, criticised the government's handling of the ongoing doctors' strike and said medicos had the right to "peaceful protest" and "safety at work".
In a Facebook post, Shabba Hakim asked people to question why "goons were still surrounding hospitals and beating up doctors".
"As a TMC supporter I am deeply ashamed at the inaction and the silence of our leader," Shabba Hakim said on the social networking site close to Wednesday-Thursday midnight. Till then Banerjee had remained silent on the issue.