‘Humiliating’: Doctors slam Mamata's talks offer, say protests to continue

Kolkata murder case: Mamata Banerjee had invited the protesting doctors for a meeting at the state secretariat on Tuesday to address the issue

Protesting doctors rejected West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's invitation for talks, vowing to continue their protest and cease work in response to the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College a month ago.

Kolkata: Junior doctors holding their stethoscope shout slogans as they sit on a dharna after the police stopped their march towards Swasthya Bhawan in protest over RG Kar Hospital rape and murder incident, in Kolkata, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra) (PTI)

Banerjee had invited the junior doctors for a meeting at the state secretariat on Tuesday to address the issue.

"Your small delegation (maximum 10 persons) may visit ‘Nabanna’ now to meet government representatives," an email sent by the state’s Health Secretary N S Nigam to the protesting medics said.

State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the CM was waiting, but a protesting doctor called the email an "insult," citing their demand for Nigam’s resignation and the limit on representation.

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Restricting number of representatives is humiliating for us: Doctors

"Restricting number of representatives for meeting with state govt officials to 10 humiliating for us," said agitating junior doctors.

The doctors plan to continue their protest.

"We are protesting outside Swasthya Bhavan, so what was the need of the Principal Secretary to communicate with us through e-mail? We are ready for dialogue. We have clearly conveyed our demands to all... We will continue to protest until our demands are fulfilled," said one of the agitating junior doctors in Kolkata.

CM waited but nothing came from agitating doctors: Minister

West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the Supreme Court had ordered the protesting doctors to resume work by 5pm. In response, chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the government waited until the deadline. At 5pm, administrative officers decided that 10 doctors could meet the state's supreme authority. By 6:10 pm, an email was sent by the principal secretary, inviting them to 'Nabanna' (state secretariat).

“Till 7.30 pm, the CM waited but nothing came from agitating doctors. At 7.30 pm the CM left the premises of Nabanna. She has always been requesting junior doctors to return to their services. We find that agitating doctors have not returned to work,” Bhattacharya said.