The ongoing protests by members of the medical community over the RG Kar Medical College & Hospital rape-murder case continued unabated outside Swastha Bhavan, the headquarters of the state health department, on Wednesday.
The demonstrators braved overnight rain and vowed to persist until authorities meet their demands.
Central to the protest is the demand for the suspension of key health officials, including the Health Secretary, Director of Health Services, and Director of Medical Education.
The medical fraternity’s determination remains strong, despite a Supreme Court order urging the striking junior doctors to return to work by 5 PM on Tuesday; a deadline that has already passed without compliance.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday evening when the protesting doctors refused an invitation from the state government to send a delegation for talks with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, and Health Secretary Narawan Swarup Nigam at the state secretariat, Nabanna.
The protests have drawn support from the victim’s family, who joined the demonstrators in front of Swastha Bhavan on Monday night.
The victim’s father expressed his gratitude for the solidarity shown by the medical community, stating that their persistence keeps the hope for justice alive.
The victim’s mother, addressing the protesters, rejected the Chief Minister’s earlier appeal to return to a ‘festival mood,’ asserting that the protest itself is the ‘true festival’ in their fight for justice.
On Tuesday, thousands of medical professionals, including senior and junior doctors, medical students, and nursing staff, rallied in a large protest march toward Swastha Bhavan in Salt Lake.
Upon being stopped at the entrance, the demonstrators staged a sit-in, which remains ongoing as they continue to press for their demands.
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