The much-awaited talks to resolve the impasse between agitating junior doctors and the West Bengal government over the RG Kar issue fell through on September 14 evening. This happened after protestors, who had agreed to join the meeting at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's house despite relenting on their live-streaming demand, were "unceremoniously" asked to leave the venue.
An agitating doctor, speaking to reporters before leaving CM's house premises, said they had agreed to attend the meeting without live-streaming or video recording, as requested by Banerjee.
"When we came here, we had demanded video recording or live-streaming of the talks. We were not allowed. Then the chief minister came out and appealed to us to join the talks, promising that we would receive the minutes of the meeting. We discussed among ourselves and agreed to join the meeting without live-streaming or video recording," the doctor said.
"When we conveyed this to Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya, we were told to leave the venue because it was too late and they had been waiting for us for three hours. We were unceremoniously asked to leave," the doctor added.
Breaking down in tears before the camera, another doctor said this incident reflected the "true intentions" of the state government.
"It shows who is not serious about the talks," the doctor said.
A video shared by the junior doctors showed Bhattacharya telling them to leave as it was too late.
"Today it's over, we have been waiting for three hours but you people didn't come inside. It's too late now," she was heard saying, PTI reported. The news agency was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the video that shared by the junior doctors.
The scheduled meeting between Banerjee and the agitating junior doctors, who have been protesting over the RG Kar incident, did not take place even after a three-hour wait due to the impasse over live-streaming the meeting. This was the third attempt by the West Bengal government and the Chief Minister for a meeting with the agitating junior doctors, after the previous two were rejected by the latter due to the government's rejection of claim to live stream the meeting.
Banerjee had made an earnest appeal to the junior doctors to join the meeting despite the impasse.
Meanwhile, the development comes right on the heels of the CBI adding rape and murder charge against former RG Kar hospital principal Sandip Ghosh, an agency official said. Ghosh is currently in judicial custody in a corruption case. The CBI also arrested Abhijit Mandal, the Officer in Charge of Tala Police Station, in the rape and murder case, the official said.
(With PTI inputs)
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