Doctors Meet Mamata Banerjee After Final Invitation

Protesting Doctors Meet Mamata Banerjee at Her Residence After ‘Final Invite’

Junior doctors protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital reached West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence on Monday evening. This meeting came after Banerjee extended her “fifth and final” invitation to the protesting doctors. The meeting is currently underway.

The doctors, who had initially demanded the live streaming or videography of the meeting, agreed to hold talks if the minutes of the meeting were recorded by both parties. Although the state government previously rejected the live streaming request, they have now agreed to share the recorded minutes with the doctors.

Mamata Banerjee’s fifth invitation followed two days after a previous meeting failed due to disagreements over live streaming. In a letter sent by West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, the government stated, “This is the fifth and final time we are reaching out to you for a meeting between the Honourable Chief Minister and your delegates. In line with our discussion from the day before, we are inviting you again to a meeting with the Honourable Chief Minister at her Kalighat residence.”

The delegation of doctors who met Banerjee on September 14 was invited again, with the government asking them to arrive at 4:45 pm.

Earlier, on September 14, a group of protesting doctors briefly met Mamata Banerjee at her residence, as they continued their protest demanding justice for the brutal rape-murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor. Banerjee had made a surprise visit to the protest site near Swasthya Bhavan that same day and assured the doctors that their demands would be addressed.

The primary cause of the month-long standoff between the doctors and the state government has been the demand for live streaming the meeting. While the doctors have insisted on live-streaming or videographing the talks, the state government rejected the request, citing that the matter is sub-judice. However, the government agreed to record the meeting’s minutes and share them with the doctors.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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