Even after a month of the rape and murder case of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, protests are continuing. Meanwhile, doctors in Kolkata have agreed to talk to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The protesting doctors have sought time to meet Mamata Banerjee. However, they have put a condition that the meeting will be broadcast live.
In their mail, the doctors said they are ready for a meeting anytime and anywhere, provided the entire discussion is telecast live. “We have written to the chief minister for a meeting, which can be held today or tomorrow and anywhere as per his choice. But, the meeting should be telecast live,” a junior doctor told PTI.
For a long time, doctors have been protesting outside the Health Bhavan, State Secretariat in Kolkata. The doctors are demanding that strict action be taken against the accused in the rape and murder case of trainee doctors on 9 August. Along with this, the resignation of the Health Secretary, Kolkata Police Commissioner etc. has also been demanded.
Protesting junior doctors in West Bengal continued their strike for the 33rd day on Wednesday, defying the Supreme Court’s direction to return to work by the evening of September 10. The protesting doctors are demanding justice for a doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at a government hospital last month. On Monday, the apex court had directed the protesting resident doctors to return to work by 5 pm on Tuesday, saying that no adverse action would be taken against them if they returned to work.
The court gave the direction after the West Bengal government assured it that no action, including punitive transfers, would be taken against the protesting doctors if they returned to work. The state government said it had written to the protesters inviting them for a meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna to resolve the impasse over the incident. However, the protesting doctors said the letter for the meeting was from the state health secretary, whose resignation they were seeking and called it insulting.
He also said that limiting the number of representatives to attend the meeting to 10 was also humiliating. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the alleged rape and murder of the woman doctor following an order of the Calcutta High Court.
