R.G. Kar: Mamata's ‘final’ invitation to junior doctors to meet at 5 p.m.

In an email to the protesting junior doctors, chief secretary Manoj Pant "for the fifth and the final time" invited them to reach West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's residence at Kalighat at 5 p.m. on Monday, 16 September, for the talks to resolve the R.G. Kar impasse.

The invitation comes two days after the dialogue failed to take off over disagreement on live-streaming of the meeting.

"This is the fifth and the final time we are reaching out to you for a meeting between the honourable CM and the delegates. In line with our discussion the day before (Saturday), we are once again inviting you for the meeting with the CM at her Kalighat residence for discussions with an open mind," chief secretary Manoj Pant wrote.

Pant hoped "good sense will prevail" as mutually agreed on Saturday, 14 September, that there will be no live-streaming or videography of the meeting given the matter is sub judice before the Supreme Court.

"Instead, the minutes of the meeting will be recorded and signed by both the parties," he said.

Responding to the mail, the agitating doctors said they will discuss among themselves and then announce their decision whether to attend the meeting.

The doctors have been on strike since 9 August, the day a 31-year-old junior doctor's body was found in the hospital's seminar hall, bearing multiple injuries and apparent signs of sexual assault. Four days later, the investigation of the incident was handed over to the CBI by Kolkata Police following a Calcutta High Court directive.

Banerjee on Saturday made a surprise visit to the site where junior doctors were protesting and assured them that their demands would be addressed, asking them to come for talks; but the proposed meeting fell through, with the protesters claiming that they were tuned away "unceremoniously" after waiting for three hours at the gates of the chief minister's residence.

The protesters had in fact refused to enter Banerjee's residence unless the government accepted their demand for a live telecast of the meeting.

The chief minister then came outside herself to meet the protesting doctors and appealed to them to join the talks. She urged them "not to insult her" and promised them that a signed copy of the minutes of the meeting would be shared afterwards.

The protestors refused to budge.

With PTI inputs