9 september 2024 : The West Bengal government’s attempt to engage in talks with protesting doctors failed after the doctors presented their conditions. They insisted that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee be present during the discussions and that the meeting be broadcast live. The government rejected these terms. The state government had invited the doctors for a meeting at 6 PM. The junior doctors have been on strike in protest of the murder of a female doctor. The Supreme Court had directed the doctors to return to work by Tuesday evening. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant had appealed for a delegation of 12 to 15 members to represent the doctors in the meeting, referring to the Supreme Court’s directives in his letter and expressing hope that the doctors would return to work. However, a junior doctor stated that their delegation would include 30 members and that no decision would be made on-site, which did not resolve the issue. The doctors’ strike has now entered its 33rd day. They had informed the government that they would be willing to attend any discussion if it was broadcast live. Meanwhile, the father of the deceased female doctor reiterated that Mamata Banerjee had offered them money, questioning whether she was truthful or not. The Chief Minister had previously claimed that no monetary offer was made to the family. Additionally, TMC leader Chandan Mukhopadhyay suggested that action should be taken against doctors who disobey Supreme Court orders.
