Kolkata rape-murder case: Junior doctors allege ‘external pressure’ as fans, tents removed from protest site

“It could be an effort to demoralise us,” said a junior doctor, “but we would like to clearly say that for a protest, we don’t need all this. We can protest from anywhere and in any possible way.”

Fans being taken away from the protest site (Express Photo)

Junior doctors announced their decision to continue their protest and cease work after a six-hour meeting with government officials Wednesday night. Despite the purported verbal assurance of the government, the doctors expressed disappointment in their demands not being included in the minutes of the meeting.

Debashish Haldar, a prominent figure in the protest, stated, “While we appreciate the government’s verbal commitments, we remain hopeful for a written directive that formally acknowledges our demands. Until then, we will maintain our current course of action.”

Reportedly, in the meeting, the Chief Secretary had requested the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) to submit the particulars of four to five junior doctors as representatives in the proposed Special Task Force for further discussions. He also reiterated the government’s request for the doctors to immediately resume work.

The WBJDF began a sit-in protest outside Swasthya Bhawan on September 10. Following a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last Monday, the doctors expressed “partial” satisfaction with the outcome and requested further discussions. The second round of talks with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant took place on Wednesday.