The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front has accused the state government of retracting its permission for a convention scheduled for September 27, where they intended to discuss the future roadmap of their movement seeking justice for the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder victim.
The protesting doctors had earlier ended their 11-day sit-in at the state health department's headquarters, Swasthya Bhawan, and partially resumed emergency and essential services at state-run hospitals following discussions with the state government.
However, during a meeting with representatives from 26 state-run and private medical colleges on Wednesday, the doctors claimed that false cases had been filed against those supporting their movement. The junior doctors expressed concerns that those who participated in democratic protests demanding the "clean-up" of the healthcare system and the arrest of those involved in the crime were being unfairly targeted.
Aniket Mahato, one of the protesting doctors, remarked, "The administration is apparently pursuing a vindictive attitude even after we showed intention and flexibility to end the deadlock. Over one month has passed but there is not much demonstrative evidence of the probe into our colleague sister's rape and murder moving at the desired pace."
The doctors alleged that the state government had withdrawn its approval to hold the convention at a state-run auditorium, and in a statement, they claimed the government was also obstructing their efforts to book other venues.
"This will backfire as we will not stay away from the path of agitations for justice," the statement read.
The doctors confirmed their decision to proceed with the convention as planned at the SSKM auditorium on September 27 at 4 pm, where they will outline their future course of action.
They also alleged that senior government officials had questioned their continued protests, saying, "Why are you still continuing agitation when most of your demands have either been met or looked into?"
Dismissing this as intimidation, the doctors declared, "Our apolitical movement for justice for our sister will not stop till we achieve our objectives."
While expressing gratitude for the support of civil society in their quest for justice, the doctors clarified that they were not involved in the call by some to hit the streets on Mahalaya to offer 'tarpan' for the victims.
The protests were sparked by the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which led to widespread outrage from doctors and civil society members alike.
The protests have garnered significant attention from various sections of society, with many questioning the state's handling of the investigation and the alleged lack of transparency. The junior doctors reiterated their call for an impartial and thorough probe, emphasizing that their movement was not politically motivated but focused solely on seeking justice for their colleague.
(This story has been slightly reworked from an auto-generated PTI feed.)
