‘Police stood like silent spectators’: Protesting doctors write to President Draupadi Murmu over RG Kar standoff

NEW DELHI: Protests young doctors on Friday wrote a letter to President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking their intervention to resolve the impasse over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
Letter written by West Bengal The Young Doctors Front described an attack by an elusive mob on RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which resulted in vandalism and ransacking of the hospital campus.
The letter, also sent to Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Health Minister JP Nadda, underscored the collective sentiment of West Bengal residents who demanded justice for the dead through ‘Reclaim the night’ candlelight marches across the state on August 15. It was during these hours that a mob allegedly stormed the hospital premises, vandalising the Emergency Department and threatening to destroy evidence.
Read more: ‘Ready to resign’: Mamata Banerjee, impasse with doctors over RG Kar case continues
“The gruesome nature of the crime, alleged cover-up attempts and the surrounding atmosphere of fear awakened the nation, demanding an impartial investigation and a speedy, fair and rational trial. In keeping with the collective sentiment, the people of West Bengal wanted to show solidarity with the deceased and their desire for justice by taking to the streets to march with candles in ‘Reclaim the Night’ across cities, towns and even villages in the early morning hours of August 15,” the letter reads.
“It happened at such unseasonable hours that the untrapped mob entered the premises of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital unhindered, ransacked the hospital premises, vandalised the Emergency Department, stormed the makeshift protest site and attempted to further destroy the integrity of the alleged scene by threatening to destroy any remaining evidence,” it added.
Protesting doctors accused state police of being “mute spectators” while doctors were attacked by hooligans.
“In this murky atmosphere of fear, mistrust and hopelessness, junior doctors in West Bengal have been forced to avoid working in hospital premises and instead, have taken up alternative means to discharge our duty of providing healthcare services to citizens. WBJDF is organising medical camps under the Abhaya Clinics initiative, on public land, at several locations across the state to continue providing free access to healthcare services to all,” it added.
This comes a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to resign over the ongoing impasse among protesting junior doctors over the rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata.
Banerjee, who waited for nearly two hours for the protesting doctors to arrive for the meeting, said she too wants justice for the victim and apologised to the people of West Bengal for the prolonged impasse.
The reason for the delegation withdrawing from the meeting at the last minute was most likely the state government’s refusal to broadcast the proceedings live.
Mamata explained why the government did not agree to it. “The matter is sub judice, certain protocols have to be followed. But we were ready to videotape the meeting. Three cameras were set up. We could have given them the footage after getting the Supreme Court’s permission. We could have given it to the court,” she said, rushing to explain that the door would remain ajar for the talks with the junior doctors.