The junior doctors on Wednesday alleged they have received only verbal assurances from the state government about the safety and security at medical colleges till now and threatened to intensify their movement if the authorities did not take enough measures in this regard.

In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front also distanced itself from “political forces” trying to use their protests to “grab power in the state”. The statement came a day before chief minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to meet principals and directors of government healthcare institutes on Thursday.

On Wednesday evening, a group was seen chasing two junior doctors, purportedly close to former principal Sandip Ghosh, while they were leaving RG Kar after appearing before an inquiry committee that is probing allegations of intimidation and threats.

One of them fell outside the hospital and the other was heard saying someone hit him. A section of protesting junior doctors raised slogans against these accused junior doctors earlier inside the campus.

Aniket Mahato, a junior doctor, said slogans were raised but the accused doctors were not attacked. Police said they did not receive any complaints about the incident.

The RG Kar authorities have summoned 51 junior doctors and students, who are accused of threatening others, to appear before the inquiry committee comprising faculty members of the college.

The junior doctors who were on a 42-day cease-work after the rape and murder of the 31-year old postgraduate trainee at RG Kar on August 9, resumed essential services from September 21.

They rejoined duties after state chief secretary Manoj Pant wrote a letter to the health secretary directing him to implement measures for safety, security and efficient functioning of healthcare professionals at government hospitals.

“After our last meeting with the chief secretary, we did not see any process to implement the written directives we secured regarding our fourth demand, except for a few isolated examples, across every hospital and medical college. We want to make it clear to the state government that if it continues to approach the issues of patient services and the safety of doctors and health workers with such a nonchalant attitude, we will be compelled to intensify our movement,” the statement read.

“Moreover, our fifth demand has also not yet been fulfilled; we have yet to see any concrete steps from the government apart from verbal assurances...”

A government official said the state will inform the Supreme Court about the measures it has taken.

The fifth demand included ending a reign of fear in medical colleges, conducting student union elections, disciplinary action against those accused of intimidation in colleges, among others.

In Wednesday’s statement, the junior doctors sought to distance themselves from the right-wing ecosystem without naming any political party.

“Various political forces have sought to exploit our movement for their narrow interests from the very beginning. We have repeatedly made it clear that we will not allow our movement to be used in the power struggles of those who have garlanded the rapists in Hathras, Kathua, and Unnao. Recently, some individuals spontaneously met with the Governor and attempted to spread false news in the media about junior doctors performing Tarpan for Abhaya on the day of Mahalaya. This program has no relation to the junior doctors currently in the movement. This movement has rejected any divisive politics from the very first day and will continue to do so,” it read.

In the statement, the junior doctors alleged that their booking of Dhono Dhanye auditorium in Alipore was cancelled despite the mayor giving them permission. It was not immediately clear whether they had obtained written permission or a verbal nod.

Mayor Firhad Hakim could not be reached on Wednesday night after the junior doctors’ statement was issued.

The junior doctors’ front will organise a public convention at the SSKM Hospital auditorium at 4pm on Friday.