‘You insulted me': Mamata Banerjee refuses livestream as docs wait in rain, invites them for tea instead

Kolkata doctor rape case: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to live stream a meeting with the protesting doctors, who had been waiting for over an hour in heavy rain near her residence in Kalighat. As the impasse continued, CM Banerjee suggested, “If you are unwilling to meet without live streaming, you are welcome to come to my house for a cup of tea.”

The doctors also requested that a videographer be allowed to record the meeting inside the Bengal CM's premises. The Bengal CM refused. The TMC supremo cited the Supreme Court hearing of the Kolkata doctor rape case for refusing to have any official record of the protesting doctors.

“As RG Kar issue is before the court, we cannot allow live streaming,” Mamata said.

“I will do the minutes, sign it as well,” the Bengal CM tried convincing the agitating doctors to attend the meeting without live streaming.

The CM berated the protesting doctors and said that they ‘insulted’ her because they had requested the meeting on September 14 but refused to enter her house. “I have waited for 2 hours,” the CM added.

Mamata Banerjee said that the West Bengal government could record a video of the meeting, not the protesting doctors. She stated that the video would be handed over to the protesting doctors only after seeking permission from the Supreme Court of India.

“Shob demand mante parina (Cannot heed all your demands),” CM Mamata told doctors.

The protesting doctors in Kolkata said that they were not at the CM's residence to discuss any matter that is ‘sub-judice; thereby, they failed to understand why Mamata Banerjee was refusing to do the same.

CM Mamata Banerjee told the protesting doctors ‘not to get wet’ in the rain and offered them fresh clothes. She also asked the doctors why they were not using the umbrellas offered by the security forces around her house.

CM Mamata flagged that the protesting doctors had not mentioned that 40 people would arrive at her residence. She said her house could not accommodate 40 people at a time. “You will receive Minutes of the Meeting signed by me,” the CM assured the protesting doctors.

What did protesting doctors in Kolkata say?

Dr Arnab Mukherjee, a junior doctor who was part of the delegation that went to meet CM Mamata Banerjee, said, “We requested for live streaming of this meeting. The Chief Secretary said live streaming is not possible as it is CM's residence. We told the Chief Secretary that we want live streaming so that transparency is maintained.”

“We also requested that our videographer be considered so that he could record the meeting. However, the CM's security was filming the video and stated that it was for security reasons. We want live streaming to ensure proper transparency of this discussion and meeting so that other junior doctors present at the protest site can also know what happened. That’s why we are waiting in front of the main gate of the CM's residence; we want live streaming of this meeting,” the protesting doctor added.