NEW DELHI: Meeting between
West Bengal
CM Mamata Banerjee and protesting
junior doctors
failed to take place at the last moment as deadlock between the live telecast and video recording continued.
The impasse, which almost seemed nearing its end on Saturday evening, now remains as protestors, not willing to relent on their demands initially, had to leave CM Mamata's house.
However, the protesters claimed that they had agreed to have a meeting without video recording but were told by a government official that "it was too late and no meeting was possible now".
In the beginning of the meeting, Mamata Banerjee tried persuading the medics to attend the talks, with an assurance that she would provide the video of the meeting, filmed by her government, once the Supreme Court gives nod for the same.
The doctors did not budge on their demands for at least three hours -- resulting in the meeting to be called off.
Here are the top developments:
- Mamata Banerjee on Saturday made a surprise visit to meet junior doctors protesting at Swasthya Bhawan in Kolkata's Salt Lake.
- She urged the protesting doctors to resume work saying, "I came to meet you as your 'didi' (elder sister), not as the chief minister," she said. "I assure you that I will study your demands and take action if someone is found guilty."
- After Banerjee's visit, junior doctors wrote to the chief minister saying that they were willing to have discussion in order to end the impasse.
- West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front also wrote to the TMC supremo calling her visit to the protest site an "exceptional goodwill gesture."
- In the evening, a delegation of junior doctors reached Mamata's house for the meeting. They reached Kalighat at 6.40 pm, got off the bus on the Hazra Road and walked in a procession towards CM's house.
- The doctors had a first round of meeting with the chief secretary outside the West Bengal CM's residence before they entered Mamata's house for another round of meeting with her.
- Before the meeting began, the junior doctors were asked to submit their cellphones. Two videographers that the doctors had brought with them to record the meet were also not allowed to attend.
- "We were waiting in front of CM's house. Senior officials spoke with us. We told them we demand livestreaming. They said not possible as it's CM's house. We then told them that we have come with our videographer. They told us they won't allow our videographer either. We asked them the exact reason why it will not being allowed. They said it's a security zone. There is no question of disbelief but we have to answer the protesting doctors. But we are still waiting," said a doctor waiting outside Mamata's house.
- Later, Mamata at 8.25 pm addressed the doctors and assured them that the government "will video-record the meeting to end RG Kar impasse, will provide it to them "after Supreme Court's nod".
- Mamata requested the medics to hold talks saying, she has made all the arrangements and asked protestors should have faith in her.
- "I request you with folded hands. I have made place for you to sit and have also provided umbrellas. Why are you getting drenched? We will record the entire proceedings but cannot release the video now as the case is under hearing at Supreme Court. Have faith in me. I will provide the recording to you later after taking permission from the SC," she told the protesting doctors.
- "You can't keep on insulting me like this," Mamata told protestors adamant on live-streaming demand.
- However, after discussing among themselves the doctors decided to have meeting with the CM without recording but were asked to leave as "it was too late".
- One of the protesting doctors who went to participate in the meeting said they "wanted the meeting to happen and had moved away from all our demands". They claimed when they went to informed their changed decision, the government officials asked them to leave and even threatened that "if they don’t leave they will force them out".
- "They said they couldn't wait for three hours while we had been waiting for 35 days. It means this is what they had planned. We had faith in the CM but this is what we received in return. We are disappointed,” said a protesting doctor," a protestor said.
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