Kolkata: Stalemate continues between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and protesting doctors even after the protestors visited her residence in Kalighat in South Kolkata following permission on Saturday evening.
The doctors initially didn’t hold the meeting with the Chief Minister, MoS Health Chandrima Bhattacharya and Chief Secretary and Health Secretary after they were denied permission for ‘live streaming and videography’ from the doctors’ side. While returning from the residence of the Chief Minister the protesting doctors said that they are ‘crestfallen’.
“We were told that even videography cannot take place from our side. Since the Chief Minister had requested us personally, we held a personal meeting amidst our delegation and to show respect to the Chief Minister we had agreed to hold the meeting with the minutes of the meeting duly signed by both the parties. While we were holding our personal meeting we were told that it is too late and the MoS health, CS, HS had left in front of us and the door was closed,” said the protesting doctors also adding that they will soon announce their ‘future actions’.
Notably, earlier in the evening despite several requests from the Chief Minister, the protesting doctors didn’t enter the residence of Mamata Banerjee and also refused tea that Mamata offered them.
“Nothing was mentioned in either of our letters about live streaming. I promise that we will do videography and will also give the minutes to everyone with duly signed but after getting a nod from the Supreme Court since the matter is subjudice. We will also not use the video without the court's permission. It is raining heavily, if you all don’t want to hold the meeting, at least get inside and have a cup of tea. Why are you all insulting me and I have been waiting for so long for the meeting. If you all don’t want to hold the meeting then why did you write a letter requesting the same,” said Mamata.
The protesting doctors said that they want the videography for the co protesters. It can be recalled that the same impasse was seen on Thursday when the protesting doctors refused to enter state secretariat Nabanna after they were asked not to do ‘live streaming’ of the meeting.
Incidentally, earlier on Saturday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the protest site of the doctors and requested the doctors to withdraw their protest.
“I didn’t come here as the Chief Minister but as your elder sister to make a last attempt to clear the impasse. Whoever is guilty will be punished. Those who are saying that someone (without naming anyone) is my friend actually are wrong. I am breaking all the patient welfare associations from all the state hospitals,” said Mamata. The West Bengal Chief Minister also stated that she even wants justice for ‘Tilottama’.
“Request CBI to complete the probe and give capital punishment to the guilty. As a guardian even I am awake for several days as all of you are struggling on the road despite natural calamity. I am born through protest and I support all protests. We started betterment of infrastructure of hospitals including medical colleges and super speciality hospitals. Principal, senior, junior doctors, public representatives will be the members of the new team,” further stated Mamata.
Mamata also mentioned that she will ‘not’ take any action against the doctors and claimed that she is ‘not Uttar Pradesh police’. After the Chief Minister left the protest site, the protesting doctors said that they will not ‘compromise’ as their ‘demands are justified’.
Following the Chief Minister’s visit, the protesting doctors had sent a letter to CMO stating that they want to sit for a meeting with the Chief Minister with an ‘open mind’, after which in a counter reply, the Chief Minister had invited them for a meeting at her residence at Kalighat in south Kolkata at 6 pm.
Though the email from CMO stated that a 15 members delegation is allowed for the meeting, the protesting doctors have taken a 30 members delegation along with people to record video of the same.
