Doctors protesting in Kolkata are demanding that their meeting with CM be live-telecasted. Why so?

The junior doctors in Kolkata, who have been protesting against the brutal rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, have demanded that their meeting with the state administration be live telecasted in order to ensure transparency.

This comes as a response to the state government’s invitation to the agitating medics to meet with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today, September 11.

In their response to the invitation sent by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant today, the doctors wrote, “The whole state of West Bengal is eagerly awaiting this meeting. We understand your administration holds serious meetings in an open manner, with live telecasts to ensure transparency among all parties. We expect the same from this meeting as well.”

It might be recalled that the first invitation for a ‘closed-door meeting’ was sent to the protesting doctors yesterday evening, September 10 at 6.12 pm by West Bengal’s Principal Secretary (Health) Narayan Nigam.

This was turned down by the doctors who are currently protesting outside the state health secretariat in Kolkata, demanding the resignation of several health authorities including Principal Secretary (Health) Narayan Nigam.

Speaking about why they opposed a closed-door meeting, one protesting doctor Dr Aqeeb told ANI, “We refused it because we were against the closed-door meeting. Firstly, like Chandrima Bhattacharya said the CM was waiting for us yesterday, nothing of this sort was mentioned in the mail. We then sent a letter to the CM office in which we mentioned our five demands- those creating trouble in justice should be asked to resign...Elections should be conducted, college counsel should be given recognition and elected representatives should be part of it and not selected representatives..."