‘Will have tea when justice is served’: What protesting RG Kar docs told Bengal CM

The Mamata Banerjee government’s efforts to end the doctors’ protests through talks ended up in a stalemate on Saturday (September 14) over the protesters’ demand to live telecast the meeting.

Even though the protesters later agreed to conduct the talks without live telecasting or videographing it, they alleged they were turned away from the chief minister’s Kalighat residence and told that it was too late now.

Doctors of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital have been protesting against the rape and murder of an on-duty trainee doctor for a month now.

CM offers tea, change of clothes

As the protesters dug in their heels over the demand to live telecast the meeting and waited for over an hour in heavy rain outside the chief minister’s residence, Banerjee tried cajoling them to come inside for at least a cup of tea.

“If you are unwilling to meet without live streaming, you are welcome to come to my house for a cup of tea,” she was quoted as telling the protesting doctors.

The chief minister also reportedly offered a fresh change of clothes to the doctors and asked why they were not using the umbrellas being offered by the security personnel.

Will have tea when justice is served: Protesters tell Mamata

The protesters, however, declined Banerjee’s offer of tea and said they will have it only when justice is delivered to their colleague.

“The chief minister came outside and requested us to have a meeting over tea – but the junior doctors said that we would have tea only if justice is delivered. We later gave up on the demand for recordings as well and just asked for the minutes of the meeting, but it was told to us that there had been a delay and nothing could be done now,” Dr Aqeeb, one of the spokespersons of the protesters, told the media.

Can’t allow live streaming as case sub-judice: Mamata

Earlier in the day, Banerjee had visited the protest site of the doctors and invited them for talks. When the doctors reached her Kalighat residence, they had demanded that the meeting be live telecast or at least video recorded.

The chief minister, however, had refused to live telecast the meeting while offering the protesters to video record the meeting and provide them a copy only after getting permission of the Supreme Court.

“As RG Kar issue is before court, we cannot allow live streaming,” she had said.

“I will do minutes, sign it as well,” she had told the protesters while cajoling them to attend the meeting.

She also told the protesters not to “insult” her as she had waited for them thrice on earlier occasions.

Kept waiting in the rain, were turned away, allege protesters

The protesters, who later, after discussing among themselves, dropped the demand to livestream or shoot the incident, alleged that they were told later that it was too late for the meeting to be held.

“We just asked for the minutes of the meeting, but we were told that there had been a delay and nothing could be done now. We kept waiting in the rain, but had to return without any solution and all the junior doctors were disheartened,” Aqeeb said.

Commenting on the arrest of former RG Kar Hospital principal Dr Sandip Ghosh by the CBI for allegedly tampering with evidence, Aqeeb said it has proved that the demands of the protesters were correct.

“What Sandip Ghosh has done is an institutional crime. Many of such principals and officials might be involved in such activities. We want all such people involved in it to resign, we continue our protests until justice is delivered. We are here for Abhaya, and we will continue seeking justice for her,” he said.