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‘None can say our demands are wrong’: Junior doctor on hunger strike in Kolkata over RG Kar rape-murder case
The junior doctors have alleged that Kolkata police denied permission to set up a dais at the protest site and also lathi-charged peaceful protesters.
Kolkata rape-murder case: Junior doctors protesting in Kolkata said nobody can prove that their demands are wrong and asserted that their fast will continue until the state government implements concrete measures, news agency ANI reported.
The junior doctors have been demanding justice for the 31-year-old doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered inside the city's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Medics from the West Bengal Junior Doctors Front began their indefinite fast unto death on October 5 at Dharmatala, demanding that the Trinamool Congress-led government take concrete measures to ensure their safety and security among other issues.
Dr Aqeeb said despite a host of other issues in medical colleges across the state, their foremost demand is securing justice for the victim doctor. He also said that no one can term their demands are wrong.
Also read | Kolkata rape-murder: RG Kar expels 10 over harassment, threat culture
“The role of the CBI in the RG Kar case in the sessions court is very lax. We want justice to be served in this case as soon as possible. We also want that any committees formed in medical colleges for the welfare of students should include a representative from the students' side, and that representative should be elected. This will lead to health reforms and benefit everyone. We have made every possible effort over the past few days, and now this is the last resort for us,” Dr Aqeeb told news agency ANI.
He also said that six doctors sitting on a hunger strike will continue their protest for an indefinite period. The junior doctors have said the TMC government should be held responsible if something happens to the doctors.
The six doctors have been identified as Snigdha Hazra, Tanaya Panja and Anustup Mukhopadhyay of Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, Arnab Mukhopadhyay from SSKM Hospital, Pulastha Acharya of NRS Medical College and Hospital, and Sayantani Ghosh Hazra of KPC Medical College.
Also read | RG Kar case: Junior doctors ‘beaten’; BJP says situation ‘deeply troubling’
Doctor's demands
Among their nine demands, the most contentious is the removal of health secretary NS Nigam. The other demands include the establishment of a centralised referral system for all hospitals and medical colleges in the state, the implementation of a bed vacancy monitoring system, and the formation of task forces to ensure essential provisions such as CCTV, on-call rooms, and washrooms at their workplaces.
(With ANI inputs)
