Kolkata Doctor Murder: Protesting Kolkata junior doctors begin fast unto death
Junior doctors in Kolkata have started their fast to death, accusing the West Bengal government of inaction on their demands.
Kolkata Doctor Murder: Junior doctors in Kolkata have started their fast to death, accusing the West Bengal government of inaction on their demands. The doctors have been protesting, seeking justice for the 31-year-old doctor who was brutally raped and murdered inside Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
On Friday, doctors began their sit-in protest at Dorina Crossing in Kolkata's Dharmatala, setting a 24-hour ultimatum for the Bengal government to meet their demands. They called off their 42-day agitation on September 21 following extensive discussions with the state government.
Since the state government failed to meet the deadline, we have begun a fast that will last until our demands are met. To ensure transparency, we mounted CCTV cameras on the dais where our colleagues are fasting," a junior doctor stated. Doctors have resumed duties but will refrain from eating 'anything'.
They also stated that six of them had begun fasting until death. They stated that the TMC government should be held accountable if anything happens to the doctors. The six doctors are – Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, SSKM's Arnab Mukhopadhyay, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.
The doctors claimed that the police denied permission to set up a dais at the protest site and lathi-charged those who were protesting peacefully. However, Kolkata police stated that the area had significant traffic flow and asked for a complaint against police personnel involved in the lathi-charge.