Bengal govt dismisses doctors’ precondition for talks

The West Bengal government on Wednesday rejected junior doctors' demands for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence and a live broadcast as pre-conditions for talks to resolve the month-long 'cease work' and standoff over the alleged rape-murder of a woman medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Amid the 33rd day of protests and a sit-in outside Swasthya Bhawan for the second day, Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya said the government remains open to discussions but suggested that "political forces" might be influencing the protests.

This led to a quick rebuttal from the medics, who dismissed the claims as baseless.

The minister urged the doctors to rejoin work by respecting the Supreme Court's direction to them, but refrained from giving a direct reply on whether the state government would take any punitive action against doctors for violating the apex court's order.

Meanwhile, TMC leaders and MLAs issued veiled threats to the agitating junior doctors by calling them "anti-national" and saying the party too might conduct counter-protests against the agitating medics.

The government had invited the doctors to a meeting at state secretariat Nabanna at 6 pm on Wednesday but the invitation did not confirm whether Banerjee would attend it.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, in an email sent at 3.49 am on Wednesday, urged the doctors to send a delegation of 12 to 15 members and stressed the importance of resuming work, citing a Supreme Court order directing them to return to duty by 5 pm on Tuesday.

"You will, no doubt, appreciate and agree that as a law-abiding citizen, it is everyone's bounden duty to adhere to these directions. Unfortunately, it has not been adhered to so far," Pant wrote, emphasising the need for doctors to return to their duties to provide necessary care to the public.

Despite the invitation, the junior doctors insisted on several preconditions before agreeing to the meeting.

"We want the discussion to be held in the presence of the CM and be telecast live. We want at least 30 representatives as this movement is spread across various medical colleges and hospitals," a member of the junior doctors' forum said at a press conference.

The government, however, stood firm on its stance, refusing to accept any pre-conditions for the meeting.