RG Kar impasse: Agitating junior doctors' delegation arrives in Kalighat to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

CM Mamata Banerjee with officials waiting for the junior doctors' delegation at her Kalighat residence.

While the agitating students insisted on live-streaming, Mamata Banerjee requested them to join talks and assured that she would make available the minutes of the meeting.

She said the video recording will be done but she will make it available only after the Supreme Court permitted it. "Please come and have a cup of tea even if you do not want to hold meeting," she said, requesting them to not get drenched in the rain.

"I have even dry clothes for you," she said. "We will also not use this recording," she said. She said there was no commitment of live-streaming in the latest mail exchange. "Please come in the interest of the people," she said. 

The doctors are currently on a casework to demand justice for the medic who was raped and murdered in Kolkata's state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant sent an email to the junior doctors asking them to send a 15-member delegation to the Chief Minister's Kalighat residence at 6 pm.

The delegation reached her residence at around 6.45 pm on a bus that was arranged for them.

The protesting doctors have been camping outside the Health and Family Welfare office Swasthya Bhavan in Salt Lake for the past several days.

In a dramatic crisis-management move, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday made a surprise visit to the protest site of junior doctors and assured to act against anyone found guilty.

Mamata made the visit a day after the meeting between her and junior doctors failed to take place over the protesters' demand for the live-streaming of the discussion.

Speaking to the agitators, the Chief Minister said, "I salute your protest. I have come up from the students' movement too. It rained heavily last night. I couldn't even sleep thinking of the pain you had suffered."

"If I can come to the dharna site, then please keep faith in me. I don't run the government alone. I don't keep track of everything. I will investigate and if anyone is found guilty, I will take appropriate action," she added.

The Chief Minister, who was greeted with 'We Want Justice' slogans, assured no action will be taken against the junior doctors who are on ceasework.

"This is my last appeal to you all," Mamata, who announced that all hospital committees will be dissolved, said.

"I want justice for Tilottama. I will urge the CBI to expedite the probe," the Chief Minister added.

West Bengal junior doctors' sit-in protests outside state Health and Family Welfare headquarters- Swasthya Bhavan- entered the fifth day on Saturday after the efforts to hold a discussion between the protesters and the government on the RG Kar rape-murder incident failed on Thursday evening.

The junior doctors refused to enter into a dialogue with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee after the government refused to stream the meeting live.

Despite the government asking the protesters to send a 15-member team for the meeting, a 30-member delegation of junior doctors reached the state headquarters Nabanna.

Though the government accepted the 30-member team, it remained firm on denying live streaming but allowed recording of the meeting.

After the doctors refused to participate in the meeting without live streaming, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who claimed she waited for two hours at Nabanna Sabhaghar, accused the protesters of aiming to capture political power and not seeking justice.