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RG Kar: Junior doctors' overnight sit-in protests outside Swasthya Bhavan in Kolkata continues

by TRANS WORLD FEATURES | @twfindia 11 Sep 2024, 11:26 am

Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal junior doctors, who have been on ceasework for more than a month demanding justice for RG Kar rape-murder victim, continued their protests overnight outside state Health and Family Welfare office Swasthya Bhavan in Kolkata's Salt Lake area.

The junior doctors began their sit-in protest on Tuesday after they were denied an entry into Swasthya Bhavan to hand over deputation demanding resignation of some of the top officials.

On Tuesday evening, the health department shot an email to the junior doctors inviting them to participate in a meeting with a senior government representative.

The doctors rejected the proposal claiming it was "insulting" to them as the email came from the principal secretary of the state Health and Family Welfare department, who is one of those people whose resignation is among the demands by the protesters.

"The email has come from the health secretary and this is insulting to us," the protesting doctors said.

In the meantime, state junior health minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee waited till 7:30 pm at the state secretariat Nabanna for a response from the students. Upon receiving no response, the Chief Minister, who Bhattacharya claimed was eager to schedule a meeting, left her office for home.

The junior doctors, who raised slogans throughout the night, on Tuesday refused to resume work by 5 pm, the deadline which was set by the Supreme Court.

The top court had said the government will be free to take action against the protesters post 5 pm on Tuesday.

Some of the senior doctors have claimed they are backing the juniors and they would respond appropriately if the government takes any action against the protesters.

The junior doctors are demanding the resignations of a few state health officials, Commissioner of Police Vineet Goyal, and justice for the victim.

The state's counsel, advocate Kapil Sibal had claimed during Monday's hearing that 23 patients have died due to the junior doctors' ceasework.

In the previous hearing held last month, the CJI had urged the junior doctors to resume work restraining the government from any action against them.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)