Protesting Doctors Write to President, PM Amid Stalemate with Bengal Govt

Kolkata: Protesting junior doctors in West Bengal have appealed to the President and Prime Minister to intervene in their ongoing agitation, following failed talks with the state government for three consecutive days.

The doctors, who have been protesting since the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, sent a four-page letter to President Droupadi Murmu.

Copies of the letter were also sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Health Minister JP Nadda.

In the letter, the doctors requested the authorities to ensure justice for their colleague and help them work without fear. They expressed concerns over the rising instances of “institutional threats, violence, and vandalism” during their protests. They also emphasised that immediate intervention would provide them with much-needed guidance and relief.

Earlier in August, President Murmu expressed her horror over the incident, linking it to a broader trend of violence against women in the country. She highlighted the persistence of such crimes despite the outcry following the 2012 Nirbhaya case, describing society’s forgetfulness towards such tragedies as “obnoxious.”

On Thursday, the state government invited the protesting doctors for another round of talks, but the doctors declined to attend after their demand for live telecast of the meeting was not fulfilled. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, after waiting for over two hours, offered to resign, stating that she did not wish to hold office if it was in the public’s interest. She also claimed that external forces were advising the doctors not to negotiate during the protest.