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

Kolkata doctor rape case: 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 inside the Bengal CM's premises to record the meeting. The Bengal CM refused to allow that. The TMC supremo cited 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 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 meeting without live streaming.

The CM berated the protesting doctors and said that they ‘insulted’ her as they had requested the meet on 14 September, 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 refused to understand why Mamata Banerjee was refusing to the same.

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

CM Mamata flagged that the protesting doctors had not mentioned 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 protesting doctors in Kolkata said?

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 said please consider our videographer so that he can record the meeting. But CM's security was shooting the video and they said it is for security reasons. We want live streaming so that proper transparency of this discussion and meeting is maintained and other junior doctors present at the protest site can also know what happened in this meeting. That's why we are waiting in front of the main gate of CM residence as we want live streaming of this meeting." the protesting doctor added.