Kolkata doctor rape-murder case: The impasse between protesting resident doctors and the West Bengal government over the resumption of duty continued. On Wednesday, the West Bengal government dismissed junior doctors' demands for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence and a live broadcast as prerequisites for negotiating an end to their month-long strike and standoff over the alleged rape-murder of a female medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Additionally, the meeting of principals and directors from all state medical colleges and hospitals, scheduled by the CM for Thursday, has been postponed to next week due to "urgent emergency work" at these institutions.
1)The doctors requested that the meeting be broadcast live and a delegation of 30 representatives be allowed to attend.
2)Dr. Arnab Mukhopadhya called for a transparent discussion with West Bengal's Minister of State for Health, Chandrima Bhattacharya, regarding the RG Kar Medical College incident amid ongoing protests by doctors in Haryana. On Thursday, he emphasised that while all channels for discussion remain open, their demands for certain conditions are not unreasonable.
3)“We’ve seen that the state government organized a public meeting with MoS Health Chandrima Bhattacharya, who expressed a desire for an open dialogue. We are also waiting for that discussion, and we have requested it be broadcast live to ensure transparency. While he claims to be disheartened, he is in an air-conditioned room while we continue our protest,” Dr. Mukhopadhya told ANI. “Our conditions for discussion are fair, and we will persist with our protest.”
4)Earlier, protesting doctors from RG Kar Medical College clarified their refusal to accept West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's invitation for talks at the state secretariat aimed at resolving their work stoppage. Dr. Aqeeb told ANI, “The email we received yesterday was from the principal secretary, stating it was a closed-door meeting with senior government officials. We declined because we are opposed to closed-door discussions.”
5)Addressing the ongoing protests by the junior doctors, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said that the demand for justice is valid and we want CBI to finish its investigation and the culprits will be given the death penalty. "We want CBI to finish its investigation and the culprits will be given the death penalty," he said.
6)The father of the deceased trainee doctor from Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her lack of action in the case. He told ANI, "We are not satisfied with the CM’s handling of the situation, which is why we sought the CBI’s involvement. She has not taken any effective steps. While police have arrested Sanjay Roy, we believe more individuals from the department are involved. The case is not just about one person."
7)On Wednesday, CBI officers conducted a new round of questioning with Sanjay Roy, the accused in the RG Kar hospital case. The interrogation took place at the Presidency Correctional Home.
8) TMC leader Chandan Mukhopadhyay criticised the protesting medics for ignoring the Supreme Court's directive to return to work
9)On Monday, the Supreme Court instructed the protesting resident doctors to return to work by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, assuring them that no adverse actions would be taken upon their resumption.
10)On August 9, a trainee doctor was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, with her body discovered in a semi-naked state in the hospital’s seminar hall. The incident ignited widespread outrage nationwide, prompting doctors to protest and demand enhanced workplace safety.
-With agency inputs
