RG Kar case: Talks between Mamata Banerjee, protesting junior doctors conclude after 2 hours
Kolkata/IBNS: The long-awaited meeting between protesting junior doctors of Bengal and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence in Kolkata concluded after two hours on Monday evening, that was aimed at ending the ongoing impasse which started with the demand for justice over the gruesome rape and murder of a medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The meeting was held with 31 representatives of the agitating junior doctors, local media reports said. The protesting doctors, however, made it clear that they won't speak to the media right after the talks but will return to Swasthya Bhawan and hold a general body meeting before taking a final call regarding the casework.
The doctors are yet to leave Banerjee's residence as local television reports say that the minutes of the proceedings are being jotted down, which will be signed by both parties.
The state government allowed two stenographers from the agitating doctors' side after two failed attempts for talks last week over live-streaming.
Mamata Banerjee is expected to brief the media following the meeting.
Besides the CM, junio Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Chief Secretary Manoj Pant were also present at the meeting.
The state government had earlier described this as a "fifth and final invitation for talks". Unlike the last two times, the protesting junior doctors have made it past the doorway and talks were held.
A crowd of people have gathered outside the CM's house who are expecting positive outcomes from the meeting.
The meeting took place just a day before the Supreme Court will hear the case related to the rape and murder of the doctor which has triggered a tsunami of protests in Bengal and across the country. Protests are also organised across the world by the Bengali diaspora.
"We are going for the meeting with our five-point demands," one of the protesting doctors told the media.
"We are having our own stenographers to ensure transparency is maintained during the meeting," another protesting doctor said.
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In a letter from chief secretary Manoj Pant, it was cleared to the doctors that their demand for live-streaming or video recording won't be allowed in the meeting citing that the matter is in the court.
"We trust that good sense will prevail, and as mutually agreed and as per your statement to the media day before- there will be no live-streaming or videography of the meeting, given that the matter is sub judice in the highest court of the country. Instead, the minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both parties," said Pant in the letter.
The junior doctors' five-point demand includes the removal of city police commissioner Vineet Goyal and Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam besides their safety, punishment of the guilty and the culture of threat in the healthcare system.
What happened last week?
On Thursday, about 30-35 junior doctors reached the state government headquarters Nabanna but didn't attend the meeting as their demand for live-streaming of the discussion was turned down by the Chief Minister.
After Mamata reached the doctors' dharna site on Saturday afternoon, the protesters agreed to a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence but the question of live-streaming played spoilsport initially.
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After repeated requests from the Chief Minister and a promise of meeting minutes, the junior doctors agreed for a discussion but junior Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and state chief secretary Manoj Pant said it was time over for the day.
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