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.