West Bengal government dismisses protesting doctors' demands for talks with Mamata Banerjee

The West Bengal government rejected the demands of protesting doctors urging a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to end the month-long standoff following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. 

The demands also include a live telecast of the meeting and the presence of a 30-member team of representatives.

In a statement issued on the night of September 12, West Bengal's Health Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the government remained open to discussion with the doctors, suggesting that "political forces" might be influencing the agitations.

The doctors, however, dismissed the minister's allegations as baseless and vowed to continue the protests until their demands were met.

Citing the importance of a recent Supreme Court order asking the protesting doctors to resume their duties by September 10 evening, the government on Tuesday invited the doctors to the meeting at Nabanna, the state secretariat, and asked them to send a delegation of 12 to 15 members.

The Supreme Court's directive for striking doctors in West Bengal to resume duties by 5 pm on September 10 was met with strong reactions from the medical community and public. A wave of demonstrations had swept through Kolkata on Monday, with participants forming human chains and holding mobile torches for nine minutes, demanding justice for the victim. 

The event, known as '9-9-9,' saw large gatherings at key locations including Shyambazar, Esplanade, New Town, and Jadavpur.