India
‘Police stood like mute spectators’: Protesting doctors write to President over RG Kar standoff | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Protest young doctors wrote a letter to President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asking them to intervene and break the impasse over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The letter, written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front has detailed the attack by an undetected mob on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which resulted in the vandalisation and looting of the hospital campus.
The letter, which was also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Health Minister JP Nadda, highlighted the collective sentiment of the people of West Bengal, who sought justice for the deceased through candlelight ‘Reclaim the Night’ marches across the state on August 15. It was during these early hours that the mob reportedly invaded the hospital premises, vandalised the emergency department and threatened to destroy evidence.
“The heinous nature of the crime, the alleged attempts to cover it up and the attendant atmosphere of fear awakened the nation to demand an impartial investigation process and a speedy, fair and rational trial. Echoing the collective sentiment, the people of West Bengal had attempted to show solidarity with the deceased and their thirst for justice through ‘Reclaim the night’ candle-lit street marches across the cities, towns and even villages in the wee hours of August 15,” the letter said.
“It was at such odd hours that an unsuspecting mob unhindered stormed the premises of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, ransacked the hospital premises, vandalised the emergency department, vandalised the makeshift protest ground and attempted to further destroy the sanctity of the alleged scene of the incident, threatening to destroy any evidence left behind,” the report said.
The protesting doctors accused the state police of standing as “mute spectators” while the doctors were attacked by the hooligans.
“In this murky atmosphere of fear, mistrust and hopelessness, the junior doctors in West Bengal have been forced to stay away from hospital facilities and have instead opted for alternative methods to discharge our duty of providing healthcare services to the citizens. The WBJDF has been organising medical camps under the Abhaya Clinics initiative, on public premises, at various places in the state, to continue to provide free access to healthcare services to all,” it added.
This came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to resign as the standoff with protesting junior doctors continued over the rape and murder case of a Kolkata doctor.
Banerjee, who waited for nearly two hours for the agitating doctors to arrive for the meeting, said she also wanted justice for the victim and apologised to the people of West Bengal for the ongoing standoff.
The reason the delegation pulled out of the meeting at the last minute was apparently the state government’s refusal to live stream the meeting.
Mamata explained why the government did not agree. “The matter is sub judice, certain protocols have to be followed. But we were willing to videotape the meeting. Three cameras were set up. We could have handed over the videotape to them after taking permission from the Supreme Court. We could have given it to the court,” she said, while hastening to make it clear that the door would remain open for talks with the junior doctors.
The letter, written by the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front has detailed the attack by an undetected mob on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which resulted in the vandalisation and looting of the hospital campus.
The letter, which was also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Health Minister JP Nadda, highlighted the collective sentiment of the people of West Bengal, who sought justice for the deceased through candlelight ‘Reclaim the Night’ marches across the state on August 15. It was during these early hours that the mob reportedly invaded the hospital premises, vandalised the emergency department and threatened to destroy evidence.
“The heinous nature of the crime, the alleged attempts to cover it up and the attendant atmosphere of fear awakened the nation to demand an impartial investigation process and a speedy, fair and rational trial. Echoing the collective sentiment, the people of West Bengal had attempted to show solidarity with the deceased and their thirst for justice through ‘Reclaim the night’ candle-lit street marches across the cities, towns and even villages in the wee hours of August 15,” the letter said.
“It was at such odd hours that an unsuspecting mob unhindered stormed the premises of the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, ransacked the hospital premises, vandalised the emergency department, vandalised the makeshift protest ground and attempted to further destroy the sanctity of the alleged scene of the incident, threatening to destroy any evidence left behind,” the report said.
The protesting doctors accused the state police of standing as “mute spectators” while the doctors were attacked by the hooligans.
“In this murky atmosphere of fear, mistrust and hopelessness, the junior doctors in West Bengal have been forced to stay away from hospital facilities and have instead opted for alternative methods to discharge our duty of providing healthcare services to the citizens. The WBJDF has been organising medical camps under the Abhaya Clinics initiative, on public premises, at various places in the state, to continue to provide free access to healthcare services to all,” it added.
This came a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to resign as the standoff with protesting junior doctors continued over the rape and murder case of a Kolkata doctor.
Banerjee, who waited for nearly two hours for the agitating doctors to arrive for the meeting, said she also wanted justice for the victim and apologised to the people of West Bengal for the ongoing standoff.
The reason the delegation pulled out of the meeting at the last minute was apparently the state government’s refusal to live stream the meeting.
Mamata explained why the government did not agree. “The matter is sub judice, certain protocols have to be followed. But we were willing to videotape the meeting. Three cameras were set up. We could have handed over the videotape to them after taking permission from the Supreme Court. We could have given it to the court,” she said, while hastening to make it clear that the door would remain open for talks with the junior doctors.
