Kolkata rape-murder case: Mamata Banerjee engages with protesting junior doctors amid RG Kar impasse
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee addressed the protesting doctors, urging them to end the strike, which has severely affected public healthcare services.
Kolkata News: Agitating junior doctors in Kolkata have expressed their desire to hold discussions with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to resolve the ongoing impasse at RG Kar Medical College. This came shortly after Banerjee made a surprise visit to the protest site outside ‘Swasthya Bhavan,’ the state health department’s headquarters, on Saturday.
The junior doctors welcomed the Chief Minister’s unexpected visit, marking a potential step toward negotiations. In a letter to the state government, Dr. Arif, one of the protestors, stated, "We are happy the door for discussion is open from both sides. We have also sent a mail to the CM's office, expressing our willingness to discuss the five-point demand put forth by the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front."
The state government has since extended an invitation to the agitating doctors for a meeting with Banerjee at her residence, scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant confirmed that 15 representatives from the doctors' group would attend the discussions, which will focus on demands concerning security and the investigation into the rape and murder of a doctor from RG Kar Medical College.
Earlier in the day, Mamata Banerjee addressed the protesting doctors, urging them to end the strike, which has severely affected public healthcare services. "I came to meet you as your didi, not as the Chief Minister," Banerjee assured the crowd, vowing to review their demands and ensure justice in the rape and murder case. With the government extending an olive branch for talks, both sides are now hopeful that a resolution can be reached to restore medical services in the state.
