The junior doctors protesting at Kolkata's RG Kar College and Hospital over the rape-murder case of a trainee doctor reached the CM Mamata Banerjee's residence at 6:30 pm today. They remained adamant on live streaming the meeting. On this, CM Mamata Banerjee said that the discussions will be recorded, but there was no talk of live streaming. Mamata tried to convince the protesting doctors. But the doctors could not be convinced and the talks were stalled again.
This was the second meeting between the CM and the doctors in five hours. At around 1:30 pm, Mamata herself went to meet the junior doctors protesting outside Swasthya Bhavan. The doctors have been protesting here since September 10. Mamata told the doctors, 'It's not my position, but the position of the people that is bigger. I'm not the Chief Minister, but I've come to meet you as your Didi.' Later in the evening, the doctors went to her house for talks.
The doctors have been protesting since a trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata last month and began a sit-in outside Swasthya Bhavan, the headquarters of the West Bengal health department. There have been moves for a discussion between the state government and the doctors since then but they have been getting stalled, most recently over the protesters' demand for live streaming of the talks.
Please listen to me for five minutes: Mamata
Mamata Banerjee reached the protest site on Saturday and struck a conciliatory tone, asking if she could address the doctors. Amid slogan-shouting she said in Bengali, "Please listen to me for five minutes and then shout slogans, it is your democratic right to do so. I have been waiting for a long time. Against the advice of my security officers, I have come here to salute your protests. I have also been part of student movements, I know my post is not a big deal, your voice is. It was raining all night and you suffered. I couldn't sleep either because I was feeling bad."
Acknowledging that the protests had been going on for over a month, she urged the protesting doctors to return to work, assuring them that the government would lend a sympathetic ear to their demands.
'If you trust me, come and talk to me'
"I will study the demands, I don't run the government alone. I will speak to the chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police. Action will be taken against those who are found guilty. I want justice for Tilottama (the name given to the woman who was raped and murdered). From your platform, I will request the CBI to speed up the investigation. If you trust me, come and talk to me, I will look into your demands. ", she assured the doctors.
Urging the protesters to return to work, she said their families were worried about them and many patients had died because they did not get proper healthcare.
"Return to work. I will ensure that no injustice happens. I will set up committees in every hospital which will have senior and junior doctors as members. Everyone found guilty will be punished, it is not like they are my friends (referring to the demand for the resignation of some officials). Please talk amongst yourselves and return to work, I will not take any action. In Uttar Pradesh, action was taken, I won't do that. I know you work a lot, I know how important you are," she said.
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