Will take appropriate action on protesting doctors: Kolkata CP

Kolkata, Oct 7 (IANS) Newly-appointed Kolkata Commissioner of Police (CP) Manoj Kumar Verma, on Monday, said the city police will take appropriate action against the fast-unto-death protest by seven junior doctors at Esplanade in central Kolkata.

The doctors are protesting against the ghastly rape and murder of a fellow female junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Verma was present at a function of the city police where the media persons questioned him about the ongoing hunger strike by junior doctors which had entered the third day on Monday.

“Police will take appropriate action,” was the one-liner from the city police commissioner in reply.

The protesting junior doctors have claimed that come what may they are determined to continue with their fast-unto-death agitation as long as their demands which are within the jurisdiction of the state government are not fulfilled.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, refused to intervene based on a petition filed against the ongoing hunger strike rally by the junior doctors. The petitioner claimed that since the hunger strike demonstration was being conducted on the main road and it might create traffic problems, hence the protesters should be asked to move to one side of the street.

However, the division bench of Chief Justice T.S Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak refused to act on the petition and observed that since a hearing in the matter is pending at the division bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, the high court is not in a position to intervene in the matter right now.

Besides the seven junior doctors, a team of 15 senior doctors assembled at the hunger strike venue on Monday to express solidarity towards their junior colleagues. This team of senior doctors will also observe fasting agitation for 24 hours till Tuesday morning as an expression of solidarity.