RG Kar rape-murder: Junior doctors continue ceasework snubbing Mamata Banerjee's appeal

Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged the students to resume work reminding them that she didn't and has no plan to take any action against any of the protesters.

"I have full support for the protesting junior doctors. I have always been on their side because their agony was justified. They have been on ceasework for a long time now. So I would request them to resume work now. The Supreme Court has also urged them to do so," Mamata said at her party Trinamool Congress' mega event.

Mamata said she does not intend to take any action against the protesters as that would ruin their careers.

A member of the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Forum said they would not withdraw the agitation unless their demands, including justice for the RG Kar victim, were met.

One agitating doctor, however, said the Chief Minister's remark sounded 'like a passive threat'.

"Mamata Banerjee’s words sound like a passive threat. We have been demanding justice. We still believe our demands haven’t been met. We also want to reiterate that we don’t want any violence and unrest, but we will not get back to work till all our demands are met,” the doctor said after they held a protest rally from Shyambazar to Esplanade on Wednesday.

The state government anyway has been restrained by the Supreme Court from taking action. The top court too urged the junior doctors to get back to work ensuring no action will be taken against them by the government.

Speaking at her rally in downtown Kolkata, the TMC supremo said, "I haven't taken any action against any protester until now. I don't intend to take any action. But the Supreme Court has empowered the state government to take action if they don't resume work. But I don't want to take any action as that would ruin their future."

Even in its last hearing, the Supreme Court had urged the junior doctors to resume work as the ceasework threatens to cripple the government medical facilities on which lakhs of poor people depend for treatment.

"Poor people cannot be left in lurch," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had said.

"If they are on duty, they will not be marked absent and if they are not on duty, then law will be followed. Ask them to first return to work, no one will take adverse action against any doctor. If there is difficulty after that, then come to us, but let them first report to work," the CJI said when an advocate appearing for resident doctors at AIIMS claimed protesting doctors have been marked absent.

The Supreme Court has assured the doctors' representatives that all their grievances and issues will be taken care of by the National Task Force that has been constituted by the top court.

"The committee will ensure all representatives are heard," said the top court.

The Supreme Court has also posted a central force- CISF- at RG Kar Hospital, which was vandalised by miscreants on the intervening night of August 14 and 15 when thousands of women and men took to streets for night vigil demanding justice for RG Kar victim.

The 31-year-old trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which is located in North Kolkata's Belgachia area, sending shockwaves across the country and triggering pan-India outrage.

One person, a civic volunteer, has been arrested in connection with the case but protesting students as well as the victim's parents suspect more people are involved in the case.

Though the RG Kar case is now being probed by the CBI, the state administration is facing public anger over its slow progress and an alleged cover-up in the case until it was handed over to the premier investigating agency under the central government.