Kolkata Horror: Protesting doctors respond to Mamata Banerjee's 'have tea' offer with renewed demands
PTC News Desk: The peace negotiations between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the doctors protesting the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital stalled on Saturday. The breakdown occurred after the protesting doctors insisted on videographing the planned meeting, a demand that was rejected by government officials.
The doctors have been agitating since the brutal rape and murder of their colleague on August 9, seeking justice and institutional reforms. Dr. Aqeeb, a member of the delegation representing the doctors, shared that when they met Mamata Banerjee at her residence, she offered them tea. However, the doctors' request to record the meeting was denied, which became a key sticking point.
"We were invited for an official dialogue at Kalighat, and despite compromising on some of our demands, we insisted on recording the meeting and receiving a copy afterward. The officials did not agree to this," Dr. Aqeeb said. He added that when the chief minister personally requested a discussion over tea, the junior doctors responded, "We will have tea only if justice is delivered."
The tensions escalated further with the arrest of a senior police officer and Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College, on the same day. Both were arrested by the CBI for allegedly tampering with evidence in the case. Dr. Aqeeb noted that Ghosh’s arrest validated the doctors' claims and showed that institutional corruption was involved.
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"What Sandip Ghosh has done is an institutional crime. Many other principals and officials may be involved in such activities. We want all those responsible to resign, and we will continue our protests until justice is served. We are fighting for Abhaya, and we won’t stop until we achieve justice," he told the protesters, as reported by ANI.
Despite their frustrations, the doctors said they even compromised further by dropping the demand for a recording and merely asked for the minutes of the meeting. "We just asked for the minutes of the meeting, but were told it was too late to arrange that. We waited in the rain for a resolution but returned empty-handed. All the junior doctors were left disheartened," Dr. Aqeeb explained.
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee had addressed the live-streaming request, explaining that it could not be accommodated due to the ongoing legal proceedings related to the case in the Supreme Court. "I assure you that whatever recording is made will be provided to you. Please accept my request and join the meeting. If not, come inside, have tea, and then leave," Banerjee said, trying to defuse the situation. Despite this, the impasse remains, and the protests continue.
- With inputs from agencies
