West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee Addresses Protesting Doctors Amid Legal Constraints
On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee explained to protesting doctors that their request for live streaming a meeting could not be fulfilled due to ongoing legal proceedings in the Supreme Court regarding the RG Kar Medical College Hospital rape and murder case. She assured the doctors that a recording of the meeting would be provided.
Speaking to the junior doctors outside her residence, Banerjee said, “I assure you that whatever recording will be done, it will be given to you. Accept my request and join the meeting. If you do not want to come to the meeting, then please come inside the residence, have tea, and then proceed to leave.”
According to the Information and Cultural Affairs Department of the West Bengal government, Banerjee addressed the doctors who had been standing in the rain for two hours. She reiterated that live streaming was not possible due to the Supreme Court case and requested their cooperation.
“We will prepare the minutes of the meeting and give them to you. The recording will be given later. If you did not want to attend the meeting, then why did you come? Why are you insulting like this? This is not the first time. I have said earlier also that the recording cannot be given today. It is not possible to accept all your demands,” Banerjee added.
The meeting faced a roadblock as the junior doctors insisted on live streaming. At the time of reporting, the meeting had not started as 12 junior doctors from the 30-doctor delegation stepped out to demand live streaming.
Earlier, Banerjee visited the protesting doctors at Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake, urging them to resume work. She assured them that their demands would be addressed and efforts would be made to fulfill them. She expressed her concern, stating that she was spending sleepless nights due to the ongoing protests.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police installed CCTV cameras at the protest site to monitor the situation and ensure security. The junior doctors continued their protest, demanding justice and enhanced safety measures at medical institutions, even after the Supreme Court set a deadline for doctors to resume work.
On September 13, junior doctors criticized Banerjee for rejecting their request to live telecast the meeting and for not meeting with them. They argued that their request was reasonable, given that many parliamentary discussions and administrative meetings are broadcast live. The doctors were also frustrated about being asked to leave electronic gadgets outside the meeting hall, preventing them from recording the proceedings.
The protests began after a second-year postgraduate medical student was raped and murdered inside the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College on August 9.
Doubts Revealed
West Bengal -: West Bengal is a state in the eastern part of India. It is known for its rich culture, history, and the city of Kolkata, which is its capital.
CM -: CM stands for Chief Minister. The Chief Minister is the head of the government in an Indian state, similar to a principal in a school but for the whole state.
Mamata Banerjee -: Mamata Banerjee is the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She is a political leader and the head of the Trinamool Congress party.
Protesting Doctors -: Protesting doctors are doctors who are unhappy about something and are showing their unhappiness by not working or by gathering together to demand changes.
Legal Constraints -: Legal constraints are rules or laws that limit what people can do. In this case, it means there are legal reasons why the doctors’ request couldn’t be fulfilled.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice in the country.
RG Kar Medical College -: RG Kar Medical College is a well-known medical school and hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is where the unfortunate incident of rape and murder took place.
Rape and Murder Case -: A rape and murder case is a very serious crime where someone is forced to do something against their will and then killed. It is a very sad and serious matter.
Live Streaming -: Live streaming is when a video is broadcasted over the internet in real-time, like watching a cricket match live on TV.
Recording -: A recording is a video or audio that is saved and can be watched or listened to later, like a video on YouTube.
Demands -: Demands are things that people ask for strongly. In this case, the doctors have certain requests or needs that they want to be fulfilled.
