RG Kar protests: 30 member junior doctors delegation reaches CM’s residence

Kolkata: A delegation of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum (WBJDF), which is spearheading the movement against the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, on Monday arrived at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence in south Kolkata for a meeting aimed at ending the ongoing impasse over the issue.

The 30-member delegation has also brought two professional stenographers to record the minutes of the meeting on behalf of the protesters.

The bus carrying the junior doctors reached the Chief Minister’s residence at 6.15 p.m. - an hour and 15 minutes late from the scheduled meeting time of 5 p.m.

The doctors had also made it clear that as regards their ongoing cease-work and protests, no decision will be conveyed at the meeting.

"We will come back after attending the meeting, discuss the outcome of the meeting with all concerned, and then announce our decision. There will be no compromise on our five-point agenda of demands," a protesting junior doctor said.

Earlier, before leaving for the Chief Minister’s residence after accepting the fresh invitation, the WBJDF told Chief Secretary Manoj Pant that the government should accept any one of their three conditions - either "videography of the meeting by a separate videographer by both the parties" or the "entire video file of the meeting to be handed over to WBJDF representatives immediately after the meeting", or "minutes with full transcript of the meeting be recorded and formulated by both the parties (WBJDF will bring their own minutes and transcript takers in the meeting) and duly signed by the attendees and handed over at the end of the meeting as stated by Honourable CM previously".

The WBJDF emphasised that these three alternative suggestions have become important considering the arrests of former R.G. Kar principal Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police station Abhijit Mondal by the CBI in the rape and murder case after the last scheduled meeting at the same venue on Saturday, which failed to fructify due to their videography demand. The delegation had even refused Chief Minister Banerjee's invitation for "a cup of tea" after the meeting failed to take off.

In his response to the WBJDF, the Chief Secretary said that it has already been clarified in the previous mail sent by him to the forum earlier in the day that representatives of both parties will sign the minutes at the end of the meeting and copies will be shared with each party to ensure clarity and agreement on the discussions.