Impasse on as Bengal junior doctors junk second govt invite for talks, set fresh terms

KOLKATA: Junior doctors rallying for justice to their raped and murdered colleague at Kolkata's RG Kar hospital rebuffed on Wednesday a second emailed invitation for talks with the Bengal govt and set fresh terms, including a "live telecast" of the meeting.

The doctors' continued strike in defiance of even Supreme Court's 5pm Tuesday deadline to return to work led senior govt officials to suspect what they termed "political instigation".

The day had started with a semblance of hope as the junior doctors camping at Swasthya Bhavan, the health department's headquarters, since Tuesday evening sent feelers to the govt after a general body meeting.

Prior to this, the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front (WBJDF) wrote an email to CM Mamata Banerjee at 3.49am, agreeing to a meeting but setting additional conditions.

One of the new terms specified in the mail was to allow a 30-member delegation to participate in the talks. The doctors wanted West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to be present at the meeting.

The govt replied to WBJDF's email at 3.23pm, inviting it to a meeting at 6pm with a delegation of 12-15 people. While reminding the protesting doctors that as law-abiding citizens they ought to follow SC's return-to-work directive, the state govt said "any condition (for talks) impedes open discussion".

At 5.23pm, another mail from the association landed in govt's inbox, mentioning the conditions mentioned previously remained unchanged. The protesting doctors have a five-point charter of demands.

The want the health secretary, director of medical education, director of health services and Kolkata Police commissioner to resign, besides a departmental inquiry and disciplinary action against hospital's ex-principal Sandip Ghosh, and DCs of North and Central.

CM Banerjee had waited until 7pm at Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Tuesday for the junior doctors to turn up. In a closed-door meeting with some industrialists in the evening, she expressed angst at "vested interests indulging in propaganda against Bengal".

The CM said she had been "flexible" on the issue but was frustrated with junior doctors' refusal to abide by SC's order to resume work or face disciplinary action by the state govt.

Chief secretary Manoj Pant said the govt wanted to discuss with the doctors their safety concerns. "We cannot go for discussions with conditions. We were hopeful but are now disheartened with this kind of response," he said. State minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said the CM had so far refused to take any step against the protesting doctors despite the SC order because she didn't want to close the door. But the state govt is cognisant of legal provisions, she added.