Kolkata Horror LIVE: Mamata Banerjee Vs Agitating Doctors
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Kolkata Police Commissioner, 2 Health Officers Removed After Mamata’s Meeting With Junior Doctors
- The meeting, which was originally scheduled at 5 pm, began around 6:50 pm and ended around 9 pm
- A 35-member delegation of the protesting doctors reached the chief minister’s Kaligat residence
Kolkata: Following a two-hour meeting between the doctors and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence, the state government agreed to three of five demands put forth by junior doctors. Kolkata Police commissioner and two health department officials were removed from their positions, said Mamata Banerjee after meeting the doctors, adding that the chief of police of the city’s north zone will also be removed. The Chief Minister urged the doctors to return to work, citing concerns that the public was suffering due to flood-like conditions, dengue, and malaria outbreaks.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “In view of the demand of junior doctors, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal has said in the meeting that he is ready to resign. At 4 pm, Vineet will hand over the responsibility to the new CP. “
The meeting, which was originally scheduled at 5 pm, began around 6:50 pm and ended around 9 pm. A 35-member delegation of the protesting doctors reached the chief minister’s Kaligat residence at 6.20 pm after the state government agreed to their demand for a signed copy of the minutes of the meeting.
Earlier, the efforts to initiate a dialogue between the two sides had failed four times after the protesters insisted on their demand for a live-streaming of the talks.
A postgraduate trainee doctor was raped and murdered at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital while she was on night duty last month triggering nationwide protests and ‘cease work’ by junior doctors. The Kolkata Police had arrested Sanjay Roy, a civic volunteer, in connection with the crime.
While the Supreme Court directed the junior doctors to return to work by last Tuesday evening to avoid any action by the government, the doctors are continuing their protest. Since Tuesday, the doctors have been protesting outside the Swasthya Bhawan, the headquarters of the Bengal government’s health department.
Here are the LIVE updates:
Doctors To Continue Cease Work Protest On Tuesday
Agitating junior doctors on Monday night said they would continue their ‘cease work’ and demonstration till all the promises made to them by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over their demands materialise.
Medics said after the meeting that they will continue their ‘cease work’ protest on Tuesday. The said that they will wait for the Supreme Court hearing on the Kolkata rape and murder case on Tuesday.
Key Supreme Court Hearing Today
The Supreme Court is likely to hear on Tuesday a case it has initiated on its own following the rape and murder of a resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata amid the ongoing protests by doctors in West Bengal.
Mamata can’t use CP Vineet Goyal as scapegoat: BJP
After Bengal government announced to remove Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal, DC North Abhishek Gupta and 2 health officials, Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said that Mamata Banerjee cannot use officers as scapegoats, pressing for her resignation.
“Mamata Banerjee has accepted some demands, earlier she was saying that she will not be removing the CP. The people of Bengal were demanding that action be taken…losing to the people of Bengal, the Chief Minister accepted some demands. BJP knows that this is a systematic failure and if the responsibility for this goes to anyone, then it is neither a Police officer nor anyone else, the main accused is Mamata Banerjee,” said Majumdar.
Kolkata Police Commissioner, Two Health Department Officials To Be Removed
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after a two-hour-long meeting with agitating junior doctors, announced that she had agreed to three demands — removing Kolkata Police Commissioner and two health department officials, along with the removal of the chief of police of the city’s north zone.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said, “We tried listening to junior doctors…we have decided to change the DC (Kolkata Police Commissioner)…he agreed to resign himself…in health department, they demanded the removal of 3 persons and we agreed for 2. We have agreed 99%, what else can we do? We have requested the junior doctors to come back to work so that the common citizens won’t suffer…”
Kolkata Police ‘tampered’ with the evidence: Agitating Junior Doctors
At a joint press conference of West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front and some resident doctors of New Delhi, it was alleged that the Kolkata Police ‘tampered’ with the evidence. The doctors demanded the removal of Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal.
Mamata Banerjee’s Final Invitation to Protesting Doctors
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has once again invited the agitating doctors for a meeting at her Kalighat residence at 5 pm today. West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant said that this is the “fifth and final” warning from the government and asked the agitating doctors to “come with an open mind”.
Doctors’ 5 Demands
1. Punishment to all those involved in rape and murder of trainee doctor as well as destruction of evidence
2. Disciplinary action against former RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh
3. Resignation of Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal and Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam
4. Adequate security arrangements for healthcare workers
5. Eliminating ‘threat culture’ prevailing in government healthcare institutions
West Bengal Government on Live Stream Demand
Pant, however, clarified that live streaming or video recording of the meeting will not be allowed. “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,” said Pant.
“Instead, the minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both parties,” he added. The last meeting between Banerjee and agitating doctors could not take place on Saturday as the protestors held firm on their demand to live stream the meeting. While CM Banerjee invited the agitating doctors to “at least have tea”, they said that they will only have tea after justice is served.
Sealdah Court orders CBI custody of Former RG Kar principal, Tala PS OC till Sept 17
The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate of Sealdah Court on Sunday ordered the police custody of former RG Kar Medical College principal Dr Sandip Ghosh and Tala Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abhijit Mondol to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the rape and murder case at the medical college and hospital on August 9. The court ordered the police custody of both suspects until September 17.
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