Junior Doctors Criticize West Bengal CM for Rejecting Live Telecast Request

Junior doctors in Kolkata criticized West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for rejecting their request to live telecast a meeting. They argued that their request was reasonable and expressed frustration about being asked to leave electronic gadgets outside the meeting hall, which prevented recording the proceedings.

Junior doctors in Kolkata criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday for rejecting their request to live telecast a meeting. They argued that the request was reasonable, citing that parliamentary discussions and many administrative meetings are broadcast live. The doctors expressed frustration over being asked to leave electronic gadgets outside the meeting hall, preventing them from recording the proceedings.

Speaking to the media, Dr. Anustup Mukherjee, one of the doctors, stated that they attempted to negotiate live telecasting the meeting with the state government, but the issue remained non-negotiable. "If all parliamentary discussions can be live telecast, and the Chief Minister herself encourages it for all her administrative meetings, then our request was not unjustified. We are discussing our demands for justice, not a subjudice matter, so there is no breach of law," Mukherjee explained.

According to police sources, CBI officials and central forces visited the RG Kar victim's house and later took the victim's family to RG Kar Medical College Hospital. The protesting doctors alleged that health services were disrupted due to their strike. However, they clarified that senior faculties were ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services, emphasizing that the state healthcare cannot solely depend on the 3% trainee doctors.

The doctors also expressed disappointment over a missed meeting at Nabbana (State Secretariat). "We waited for three hours, but the doors were closed," said Dr. Akil Ashraf. In their plea for intervention, the doctors penned a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, with copies sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Union Health Minister JP Nadda, seeking justice for their colleague and a safer working environment.

(With inputs from agencies.)