‘We would have tea only if justice delivered’, says protesting doctor in Kolkata

KOLKATA: As junior doctors in Kolkata continued their protest for the fifth consecutive night at Swasthya Bhawan in the Salt Lake area, Dr Aqeeb said that their protests will continue until justice is delivered.

Dr Aqeeb was part of the delegation that went to meet Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at her residence. “…Sandip Ghosh has been arrested and it shows that our demand was right. What Sandip Ghosh has done is an institutional crime. Many of such principals and officials might be involved in such activities. We want all such people involved in it to resign, we will continue our protests until justice is delivered. We are here for Abhaya, and we will continue seeking justice for her,” he said while addressing the protesters.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday arrested Sandip Ghosh, the former principal of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, along with Abhijit Mondal, the officer-in-charge of Tala police station, in connection with the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in kolkata.

#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal | Dr Aqeeb, who was part of the delegation that went to meet CM Mamata Banerjee, says, “…We were asked to come for an official dialogue at Kalighat, we went there – when we went there, we even compromised with our demand that the meeting be live… pic.twitter.com/0Iivi7vhUK

— ANI (@ANI) September 14, 2024

Speaking about their meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which was cancelled, Dr Aqeeb said, “We had to return without any solution…We were asked to come for an official dialogue at Kalighat, we went there, we even compromised with our demand… We said to just record the meeting and once it is over, kindly provide us with that recording. The officials didn’t agree to that. The CM came outside and requested us to have a meeting over tea, but the junior doctors said that we would have tea only if justice was delivered.

“We later gave up on the demand of recording as well and just asked for the minutes of the meeting, but it was told to us that there had been a delay and nothing could be done now. We kept waiting in the rain, but we had to return without any solution and all the junior doctors were disheartened”, he said.

On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the request for ‘live streaming’ of her meeting with the protesting doctors could not be met due to the ongoing legal proceedings of the RG Kar Medical College Hospital rape and murder case in the Supreme Court. The West Bengal Chief Minister further requested the doctors to cooperate and assured them of providing them with a recording of the meeting.

“I assure you that whatever recording will be done, it will be given to you. Accept my request and join the meeting. If you people do not want to come to the meeting, then please come inside the residence, have tea and then proceed to leave”, said Banerjee. (ANI)