An impasse over the live telecast of the meeting between agitating junior doctors and the chief minister and her top brass at Nabanna on Thursday prevented any breakthrough to the 32-day protests since the RG Kar tragedy.

Junior doctors, who reached Nabanna, did not budge from their demand for a live telecast of the proceedings even as top state officials explained to them why it could not be done and Mamata Banerjee waited in her chamber to meet the delegation. Officials said the proceedings could be videographed but drew the line at live telecast, citing government protocol as the matter was sub-judice. Finally, the team of junior doctors left Nabanna.

Around 2pm on Thursday, state chief secretary Manoj Pant sent an email to the junior doctors inviting them to a meeting at 5pm at Nabanna. He made it clear that chief minister Mamata Banerjee would be present in the meeting, which was a demand by the agitating doctors.

“The chief secretary had sent a letter to the junior doctors on Wednesday inviting them to a meeting.... But, the junior doctors did not respond positively and demanded they wanted the chief minister’s presence in the meeting. This is the reason why the chief secretary clearly mentioned in his mail on Thursday that the chief minister would be present in the meeting,” said a senior official.

However, the state government did not accept their other two demands — live telecast of the meeting and allowing 30 delegates from the junior doctors, which they had mentioned in their reply by mail to the chief secretary on Wednesday.

“The chief secretary made it clear that 15 delegates from the junior doctors’ side would be allowed to attend the meeting and there would be no live telecast of the meeting,” said an official.

However, junior doctors stuck to these demands in their mail sent to the chief secretary at 3.53pm on Thursday. Then, senior officials discussed the issue with the chief minister and decided that they would allow 30 delegates as per their demands.

When junior doctors reached Nabanna Sabhaghar by bus at 5.23pm, the officials found that there were 32 delegates from the junior doctors’ side.

“We decided to allow all the delegates to the meeting hall. But they did not enter the meeting hall saying they would not attend the meeting if live telecast was not allowed,” said chief secretary Pant.

All the senior officials, including Pant, home secretary Nandini Chakraborty and DGP Rajeev Kumar held discussions with the junior doctors outside the hall repeatedly and tried to persuade them to attend the meeting.

When all the efforts fell flat, the chief secretary and the DGP held a news conference at Nabanna to brief why the government could not allow a live telecast of the meeting.

“No live telecast of any government meeting is allowed.... Live telecast is allowed for the portion of the meeting where the general public needs to be addressed. Also, press conferences after any government meeting can be telecast live,” said DGP Rajeev Kumar.

Pant added that the live telecast of the meeting could not be allowed as the matter is sub-judice.

“We have made it clear to the junior doctors that video recording will be done of the entire meeting to maintain transparency.... But they did not accept it,” added the chief secretary.

As the chief secretary and other senior officials tried to persuade the junior doctors, Mamata waited in the
meeting hall, being briefed constantly about the developments outside.

“The chief minister was waiting patiently while the senior officials were trying to persuade the junior doctors to come inside the meeting venue... The chief minister waited calmly. But when discussions did not bear the desired result, she left for her chamber on the 14th floor of Nabanna at around 6.55pm,” said an official.

When the junior doctors left Nabanna, senior officials went to meet Mamata to discuss the next course of action.

“We will try to hold the meeting again.... The chief minister has made it clear that if the junior doctors want to attend a meeting, the senior officials should welcome them,” said a bureaucrat.