The ongoing stand-off between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and junior doctors protesting the rape and murder of their colleague at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital continued on Thursday. A delegation of 32 doctors camped outside the state secretariat, refusing to meet Banerjee despite her invitation.
Banerjee expressed her frustration, stating, “We have been waiting for two hours to meet our brothers and sisters among the doctors. I have waited for two days for them to come… but we respect their sentiment and forgive them.” She was seen sitting in an almost-empty auditorium, with chairs and tables arranged in a semi-circle, awaiting the doctors’ arrival.
The deadlock revolves around the doctors’ demand for live-streaming the meeting, which the state government has refused. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant confirmed that two other preconditions—Banerjee’s presence at the meeting and increasing the delegation size from 15 to 32—had been accepted. However, the refusal to live-stream the meeting remains a point of contention.
Pant said, “We allowed all 32 doctors to attend, but they demand live-streaming, which we cannot allow. We offered to record the meeting instead, but they insisted on their demands being fully met.”
Director-General of Police Rajeev Kumar also deemed the demand for live-streaming unreasonable, stating that formal meetings are rarely streamed live.
The state government’s third invitation to the doctors came after two earlier invitations this week were rejected. The first was dismissed because it was sent by Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop, whom the doctors want removed. The second was rejected due to the absence of Banerjee and restrictions on the delegation size.
Despite the prolonged protest, now in its 34th day, the state government reiterated its willingness to engage in dialogue. Pant highlighted the urgency of resolving the issue but stressed that live-streaming was not an option.
Junior doctors have been staging a sit-in protest outside the state Health Department, demanding action over the rape and murder of their colleague and disciplinary measures against Dr. Sandip Ghosh, the former RG Kar Hospital head, and Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal. They have also called for increased security in state-run healthcare facilities and an end to what they describe as a “threat culture.”
The Supreme Court had earlier set a deadline for the doctors to return to work by 5 pm Tuesday, but the protest continues. The court had left it to the Bengal government to resolve the situation, and so far, Banerjee has refrained from taking any drastic action, aware of the potential political fallout.
Banerjee’s efforts to negotiate a peaceful resolution could prove pivotal in easing public anger over the rape and murder case, which has sparked widespread outrage across the state.