Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday was left waiting for a meeting - with doctors protesting the rape-murder at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital - that never happened.

Ms Banerjee had invited the doctors to meet at the state secretariat at 5 pm. At 25 minutes past the hour a delegation of 32 doctors - 15 over the limit set by the government - arrived, but they refused to enter the hall because officials said the meeting could not be live-streamed.

At 7 pm the Chief Minister addressed the media, stating she had been waiting for over two hours today, and had seen two earlier invitations rebuffed, but insisting she was not angry. "We have been waiting for two hours to meet our brothers and sisters... we had written to them and they said they would come, and that was why we made these arrangements," she said.

"I waited for two days for them to come (but) we respect their sentiment and forgive them."

In a significant statement the Chief Minister - under severe pressure from the opposition and protesting doctors - also offered to resign "in the interests of the people". "I do not want the post of the Chief Minister. I want justice for Tilottama (the name given to the doctor who was killed)."

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Visuals released by the state showed Ms Banerjee in an almost-empty auditorium with striking blue mats on the floor, and with rows of chairs and tables laid out in a semi-circle before her.

The protesting doctors had set three pre-conditions to attend talks - that Ms Banerjee be present, that at least 30 of them be allowed, and that the meeting be live-streamed.

READ  "Delegation Of 30, Live Telecast": Doctors' Demands For Mamata Meet

After two earlier invitations to talks were rejected, for failing to meet these demands, the state this afternoon issued a third, accepting that Ms Banerjee would be present but continuing to limit the delegation size to 15 and insisting proceedings would not be live-streamed.

The protesting doctors appeared to accept; they drove up to the state secretariat in a bus, but it soon became clear there were more than 15 and they were sticking to the live-stream demand.

Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and Bengal Police chief Rajiv Kumar both said today's impasse was over that issue. "We allowed all 32 to attend but they demanded live-streaming... we said this cannot be allowed. We have said we will record it," Mr Pant told reporters, adding the doctors had then declared they would not come to the meeting till all pre-conditions are met.

Junior doctors have been holding a sit-in protest outside the state's Health Department HQ for several days now, even though their senior colleagues have returned to work following a plea by the Supreme Court. They have criticised the state for not meeting to hear their concerns.

The agitating doctors have five core concerns.

The demands include holding to account all those responsible for the rape and murder of their colleague, as well as destruction of evidence, and to take strict disciplinary action against Dr Sandip Ghosh, the former RG Kar Hospital head who has been arrested by the CBI.

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The doctors have also demanded the sacking of Kolkata Police chief Vineet Goyal, whose leadership of the force has been heavily criticised, and Health Secretary Narayan Swaroop.

The protesting doctors have also asked for adequate security for healthcare workers, particularly the elimination of a 'threat culture' they say is rampant in state-run facilities.

In his first letter to the doctors Mr Pant pointed out the doctors had overrun the deadline set by the Supreme Court - to return to work by 5 pm Tuesday. "You will, no doubt, appreciate and agree that, as a law-abiding citizen, it is everyone's duty to adhere to (the court's) directions..." he said.

The Supreme Court, which took suo moto cognisance of the RG Kar horror, had left it to the Bengal government to deal with the striking junior doctors. So far, however, Ms Banerjee has not taken any action, undoubtedly aware of the political firestorm to be unleashed if she does.

Both the Chief Minister and the state government are aware that negotiating a peaceful end to this protest will go a long way to neutralising public anger over the woman's rape and killing.

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