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Striking doctors refuse to meet Mamata Banerjee unless she visits NRS Hospital, Mamata appeals to get back to work

The doctors’ crisis in West Bengal seems to be getting far more serious with striking junior doctors on Friday rejecting a proposal from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for talks at the state secretariat Nabanna. They stuck to their stand that she would have to come down to the NRS Medical College and Hospital to listen to their grievances and apologise for having cast aspersions on them, IANS reported.

Earlier, a delegation of 5 doctors led by Sukumar Mukjherjee called met Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna and offered to resolve the stand-off between the state and the striking doctors. It was owing to this that the CM’s secretariat had sent an invite to the striking junior doctors.

After meeting CM Mamata Banerjee, Sukumar Mukherjee had said, “We have come on our own to resolve the issue as the medical services in the state are going through a crisis – both for the doctors and the patients. We want the doctors to feel secure, and the government also to keep its promise to improve the functioning of the hospital services”.

When the Director of Medical Education, Pradeep Mitra was sent to NRS to convince the striking doctors to meet with the Chief Minister, he was told that they were not in a position to meet the CM, as they would be holding a general body meeting to decide on the issue.

Sukumar Mukherjee has not decided to defer the meeting until Saturday 5 PM and expressed hope that the junior doctors would make themselves available for a talk.

It is being reported that the Bengal Governor had called on the Chief Minister to discuss the ongoing crisis but got no response from her in return.


In the meantime, after the protesting doctors refused to meet Mamata Banerjee at Nabanna, Banerjee has issued a fresh appeal to the doctors to get back to work.


Interestingly, while the doctors are insisting that Mamata Banerjee visits the NRS hospital personally to meet the protesting doctors, Banerjee on her part has not done that yet as is instead issuing appeals.

Earlier, Mamata Banerjee had aggravated the situation by threatening the doctors and then by asserting that the doctors protesting are ‘outsiders’. In the meantime, there have been mass resignations from doctors across the state. Reports indicate that as many as 500 doctors have resigned from their posts so far. Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a pan-India strike from 17th June to 18th June. The Calcutta High Court had also come down heavily on Mamata Banerjee and asked her to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The West Bengal crisis began as a small protest by a group of junior doctors at the state-run SSKM Hospital after doctors and interns at the NRS Hospital were brutally attacked by a mob on the premises of the hospital after a patient named Mohammed Sayeed reportedly died of natural causes. As the protest began attacks against doctors further escalated and mobs attacked students and interns at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital as well.

Kolkata: Father blames Police for newborn’s death for not letting him enter the Hospital amidst Doctors’ Strike

In a heartbreaking incident, a newborn child in Agarpara, West Bengal died due to alleged lack of treatment because of the ongoing doctors’ strike across the State. Abhijit Mallik, the father of the child, told the reporters that the child was born on June 11 and was suffering from a breathing problem. When the child’s condition deteriorated on June 12, the doctors at the Hospital advised consulting a child-specialist Hospital.

Mallik alleged that he took the child to several hospitals but the child was not attended and the child died on June 13. “It is my bad luck. My child died due to lack of treatment. He was not attended by any doctor because of their strike”, Mallik told reporters in North Parganas district. He also alleged that his calls to the State’s health department were not responded to.

The father blamed the Police for not letting him enter. He said, ““RG Kar, Medical, Chittaranjan, Police didn’t allow us to enter. I told them my child is serious, I had paper from Sagar Dutta college (which had recommended us to go to better hospital). Junior doctors tried their best, they helped us a lot, they were crying, but police didn’t let us in. They said they called the health ministry four times but no one picked up the phone”.

The doctors in the State have been holding a strike in the State since the doctors in Nil Ratan Sarkar Medical College and Hospital were attacked by a mob after an 85-year old man named Mohammed Sayeed reportedly died of natural causes on June 10.

Calling the agitating doctors’ ‘outsiders’, West Bengal Chief Minister had given them an ultimatum yesterday to end the protest and resume work or face the action. Instead of addressing the doctors demands, she condemned the doctors who had gone on strike and called the situation a conspiracy of the BJP and the CPI.

Editor’s Note: The report was updated with relevant information at 5:40 p.m. (IST).

Watch these 5 powerful videos of doctors walking out after resigning, setting the stage for Mamata’s Singur moment

As the impasse between the medical fraternity in West Bengal and the state machinery controlled by the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC worsens, a large number of doctors from many hospitals in Bengal are joining hands in solidarity against Banerjee government’s brazen attack on their colleagues. As the movement gathers steam, medical professionals from across the nation have come together to raise the important issue of their safety while attending to the patients.

The situation in West Bengal had worsened after Banerjee, instead of placating the concerns of doctors, tried to browbeat them into calling off their strike and get back on to their jobs of tending to the injured. Facing intimidation from the state administration, the doctors rather preferred to resign and walk out of the hospitals, marking a watershed moment in the state’s tumultuous history.

Doctors in the state have displayed enormous grit and ineffable fortitude in standing up against the Banerjee government’s tyranny. Here are 5 powerful videos that personify the supreme courage and resilience displayed by doctors in the face of an increasingly hostile state establishment. Even as doctors walked out of their respective hospitals, onlookers and fellow doctors applauded their gesture of squaring up to TMC government’s coercion.


Protesting doctors walking out of the Medical College and Hospital, the crowd gave a round of applause welcoming their decision of resigning.


Fervid crowds in Kolkata burnt the effigy of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in protest against the state’s coercive stance against the doctors.


In another instance, 43 senior doctors from RG Kar Medical College tendered their resignation and walked out.


Another video surfaced of the massive crowds protesting against the violence against doctors.


Doctors have resolutely stood up against the government’s bullying, conveying they can neither be intimidated nor can their safety be negotiated. As the crisis in Kolkata snowballs, it’s repercussions in other parts of the country are visible, the hour of reckoning has come to herald Banerjee’s Singur moment.

Doctors’ agitation started in Bengal has spread across the country in no time. Doctors from across the country are raising their voices against the attack on the doctors at NRS Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal by a violent mob on 10th June.

Mass Resignations of doctors in West Bengal, here is the list of institutions where resignations have been submitted so far

As the situation in West Bengal is getting worse by the hour, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seems to be making no effort to stop the situation from escalating. Doctors across the state are tendering their resignations in protest against the attack on doctors at the NRS Medical College and Hospital by a mob of around 200 people and inaction of the police against the culprits.

After the Indian Medical Association (IMA) announced a pan-India strike from 17th June to 18th June, now the doctors of Burdwan Medical College have submitted their resignation. Few days after the attack at the NRS Medical College and Hospital, the doctors and interns at the Burdwan Medical College were attacked with stones by families of patients when they shut down the services in protest against the attack at NRS Medical College and Hospital. Four medical students were seriously injured in the attack.

Resignation of Doctors of Burdwan Medical College

Joining the protests that have now taken a national character, Doctors of Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine have also resigned.

Resignation of Doctors of Calcutta School of Tropical Science, Page 1
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Earlier, resignations were tendered several doctors of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital followed by the resignation of 16 doctors at the Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC). CNMC was also attacked after services were shut down at the College as part of the doctors’ agitation. Doctors from North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, Darjeeling also submitted mass resignations in a show of solidarity with the medical fraternity. Yesterday, Professor Saibal Kumar Mukherjee, who is the Principal and Medical Superintendent, and Professor Saurabh Chattopadhyay, who is the Vice-Principal, of the NRS Medical College had given their resignations which were followed by the resignations of several doctors of Sagore Dutta Medical College.

Today, the Doctors of the Kolkata Medical College also came out in support of fellow doctors and handed over their resignations. The latest to join the league are 37 doctors of the Rampurhat Medical College, Birbhum who submitted their resignations today.


Considering the lack of any positive action on part of Mamata Banerjee to control the situation, it appears that the list might grow. Doctors in different places also staged protests demanding appropriate measure for the safety of the doctors. Earlier in the day, the doctors of Delhi Medical Association held protests at Rajghat in Delhi. Doctors of RDA at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi had announced yesterday to hold a silent protest in support of the West Bengal doctors.

SEBI bars NDTV promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy from accessing Securities Markets and holding management positions for 2 years

In a major jolt to NDTV promoters, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, Securities and Exchange Board of India has barred them from accessing Securities Markets and holding any management position in NDTV for the next 2 years.

SEBI Order
SEBI order
SEBI Order

The investigative agencies are probing NDTV for high-level tax frauds and financial irregularities and promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy have been under the scanner of multiple agencies for allegedly carrying out nefarious activities.

Earlier, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy were served with a show cause notice by the SEBI under the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act, 1992 (“SEBI Act”). According to the information provided to BSE, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy, the Promoters of New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) received the said show cause notice on the 10th of September 2018.

The show cause notice was dated August 31, 2018, and was issued under Sections 11(1), 11(4) and 113 of the SEBI Ac by SEBI, alleging violation of provisions of Section 12A (d) and (e) of SEBI Act read with Regulation 3(i) and Regulation 4 of SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 1992.

The SEBI act in Section 12 A specifically deals with insider trading which is the buying or selling of a security by someone who has access to material nonpublic information about the security. Insider trading can be illegal or legal depending on when the insider makes the trade. It is illegal when the material information is still nonpublic.

Before this, NDTV has had a similar brush with the law when they got a show cause notice from the Income Tax Department. Earlier, the IT Department show cause notice pertained to the IT Department levying a penalty of Rs. 436.80 crores for the assessment year 2009-10. The channel had later approached the Delhi High Court which had refused to intervene in the matter and in turn asked the channel to approach the Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals).

The Principal Commissioner of Income Tax had refused to stay the demand and instructed the channel to pay 30% of the penalty amount in a staggered manner by 15th June 2018. The said three instalments of this amount had to be paid on 15 April, 15 May and 15 June respectively.

Update: SAT has stayed the SEBI order that barred Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy from holding any managerial or directorial positions in NDTV.

Mamata vs Doctors: Mamata Banerjee won’t back down, reiterates that protesting doctors are outsiders

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has worsened the doctor’s protest in the state by reiterating her ‘outsider’ claim. The protest in the state has intensified and is now taking a nationwide dimension.

Addressing the crowd at the Naihati area in North 24 Parganas, Mamata named the doctors of Indian Medical Association who called for a Pan India strike and alleged the ones who are not protesting are not from the state, reports Republic TV.

“Outsiders are creating a situation and havoc in the doctors’ issue. There are some insiders but mostly they are outsiders,” Banerjee said.

Irked by these allegations, protesting doctors at NRS hospital in Kolkata responded unanimously and said if they are outsiders then Banerjee led government must check their ID cards.


The agitating doctors asserted their protest is apolitical.


In an autocratic diktat to the people residing in West Bengal, Banerjee issued an ultimatum asking them to learn and converse only in Bengali if they wish to continue living in the state.

Addressing the Trinamool Congress rally in North 24 Parganas district, Mamata targeting the BJP said, “We have to promote Bangla. When I go to Bihar, UP, Punjab, I speak their language there. If you live in West Bengal then you will have to speak Bengali. I will not tolerate criminals who live in Bengal and roam around on bikes.”

Facing flak for the ongoing impasse between the medical fraternity and the state government, TMC chief resorted to this linguistic chauvinism.

Pointing towards the BJP on the pretext of being the outsiders, Mamata declared that if one is in Bengal they must speak Bengali. She asserted she will not tolerate criminals who live in Bengal and roam around on their bikes and stated she wouldn’t allow West Bengal to turn into Gujarat.

Urging the people to fight against the forces that are trying to create to divide in the state of West Bengal, she gave a slogan: “Ladai hobe, ladai cholbe, ladai jeetbo (we are fighting, we will fight, we will win the fight). “I am not the one who is scared of death, death is scared of me,” she added.

West Bengal has turned into a hornet’s nest after doctors from various state-run medical colleges and hospitals resigned en masse in protest against the insensitivity shown by the state government towards the doctors who were attacked by mobs in West Bengal.

The crisis escalated after Banerjee accused the protesting doctors of being ‘outsiders’ and dubbed the entire matter a conspiracy by her political opponents.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court, while hearing a PIL  on doctors’ strike in the state, gave 7 days to West Bengal government to respond.


The court further asked Baneerjee’s government to clarify what steps would they initiate to end the impasse. It also said the state will have to put an end to this and find a solution.

A brilliant cartoon undone by Vijayan’s Kerala

Pinaryi Vijayan’s Left government (LDF) in Kerala uses its two hands differently: One wears a velvet glove for Christians and Muslims; the other a baton for Hindus.

The latest evidence was on Wednesday when under the state government’s pressure the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi withdrew its award to KK Subhash who had drawn a brilliant cartoon in a vernacular magazine on the alleged rapist, former Bishop of Jalandhar, Franco Mulakakal.

The state government took the step on the objections of Christian clergy and browbeat Akademi into submission, notwithstanding Akademi is an autonomous body and that the essence of Indian Constitution is freedom of speech and expression.

The cartoon is a brilliant work of art. Mulakkal is depicted a rooster trampling the police cap, propped up by his supporter MLA PC George and an approving PK Sasi of the CPI(M) who himself has been accused of sexual harassment. Both the bishop and Sasi are wearing the same headdress, implying “cock” of the same feather. A beaming bishop is upholding the crosier (staff) strapped by pink-coloured lingerie while a bunch of nuns are running for cover. The cartoon’s caption– “Vishwasam Rakshati” (Your Faith Will Save You)–is the knockout punch.

This one cartoon is enough to know everything concerning Mulakakal and the alleged over a dozen rapes he committed on a nun for two years (2014-2016) while he was Bishop of Jalandhar. Kerala Police sat on the case for months before a public outrage left them with no option but to knock at the door of Mulakakal. Vijayan’s government, by transferring investigating police officials, played its role of a laggard to a perfection.

Now let’s look at the Sabarimala episode. Armed with the Supreme Court mandate, Vijayan’s government used every trick in the world to make sure adult women could sneak through into the sanctum sanctorum of Lord Ayyappa and assault the faith of millions of Hindus. It caused consternation not just in Kerala but also helped a Hindu consolidation in the rest of the country.

Vijayan’s government had no qualms if it hurt the Hindu sentiments. It brazenly slams BJP and RSS but has open doors for radical Muslim groups, SDPI and PFI. It’s because Hindu voter today is divided between Congress, Left and BJP in the state. Left projects itself as the non-Muslim pole in Kerala and reaps a rich dividend (though the winds are changing as just a single seat in the 2019 General Polls has been its worst show in Kerala).

Vijayan, much like Mamata, faces assembly test in 2021. With Congress on a high, CPI (M) can’t afford to lose out on Christian votes. Almost 20 per cent of Kerala is Christian but the real numbers far exceed these dry statistics. Christians are the richest and most powerful minority in Kerala which dominates fishing and jewellery business. The faith is also deep-rooted: Over 1000 churches in the state are a pointer.

The United Christian voice in Kerala is in complete contrast to divided Hindu affiliation in Kerala. This, when Hindus historically have often suffered in this coastal state. It was Hindu rulers who welcome Christians when they first came to its’ shores in 52 AD. It was still Hindu rulers when Muslims took the sea route and became sons-in-law (Moplahs). These were the same Moplahs who killed and raped thousands of Hindus in the 1920s. Or Tipu Sultan, who by an edict destroyed Hindu temples and killed tens and thousands of Hindus.

Who can forget the devastating changes in the Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act 1950 in 2007 which in one stroke passed over the Devaswom Board, and thus cash-rich Hindu temples, into the controls of state governments to loot at will? They didn’t even bother to consult Hindus despite 70 Hindu organizations shrieking in protest.  It’s Devaswom Board which control the income from Temples.

(The trick is ingenious: Income of several thousand crores goes into Devaswom Board bank accounts as fixed deposit. The government never pays back on these FDs. That’s how the Kerala government “controls” the temples. Sabarimala too is milking cow for Kerala government. Temples and sale of hard liquor are two major sources of revenue for Kerala. Beat that.)

Today Hindus are declining alarmingly in Kerala. From 69 per cent in 1901, it declined to 55% in 2011 census, a 14 per cent erosion. Muslims and Christians have improved demography by 10 and 4 per cent in the same period which points towards the role of conversion in such a decline. Muslims and Christians are concentrated in the north and south of Kerala. Muslim (26.6%) presence in the state is the fourth highest in the country behind Jammu and Kashmir (68.3%), Assam (34.2%) and Bengal (27%). Experts predict that by 2061 the state would’ve more Muslims than Hindus.

We know that Communists hate religions. It’s because the more people are alienated from their culture and beliefs, the better chances they have to grab power. Since Hindus are the majority in India, their best hope is to align with Muslims and Christians.

(P.S: Lutyens Media erupted in anger when a scribe was arrested for “disreputing” Yogi Adityanath of UP recently. As against one in UP, 119 such arrests have been made for criticizing Vijayan in Kerala. Dear Lutyens Media, why no noise?).

Love Jihad: Father accuses one ‘Jaffer’ of threats and attempts of forced conversion behind Coimbatore girl’s suicide

On Thursday a father from Coimbatore had petitioned the Police Commissioner to take immediate action to bring out the truth of his daughter’s suicide, which he alleges was due to ‘love jihad’. In a press conference yesterday, he alleged that the police were yet to take action on Jafer, a Muslim student, who had allegedly tortured his daughter to convert to Islam.

Ashwini Ganga, a first-year B.Com student of Sree Narayana Guru College committed suicide on 25 April at their house in Kuniyamutyhur, Coimbatore. In the press conference the father, Gangadharan, along with a Hindu Munnani activist and advocate, Sridhar Moorthy, alleged that she had committed suicide after Jafer scolded her when he visited her house, while she was alone.

Ashwini had been receiving threatening messages from Jafer prior to his visit. From the text messages, it could be seen that Ashwini had been ignoring him for a period of time, she wasn’t going to college nor was she picking up his calls. Jafer had clearly threatened to visit her home and deal with her.

Threatening messages from Jafer on Ashwini’s phone (Image Source: Kolathur Namban TV)

In a suicide note, that allegedly has been kept hidden by the police, Sridhar Moorthy said that Jafer had been in Ashwini’s house for 30 mins and threatened her to convert. He had even threatened that her family wouldn’t be safe in the city if it was found that she had informed them. It was then that she had decided to hang herself.

After Ashwini was found in her room hanging, Gangadharan rushed her to the hospital in the hope of saving her. However, she was confirmed to be dead. Gangadharan informed the police, after which the police came to gather evidence. Allegedly, the police did not ask any questions regarding the case. Instead, Gangadharan was asked to come to the police station next morning.

When Gangadharan arrived at the station the next morning, the FIR was already written in Tamil. However, Gangadharan being a native of Kerala did not read or write Tamil. Despite this, he was asked to sign the FIR so that he could retrieve the body and take it back to his home in Thalassery, Kannur.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vWSaqm5fQk?start=31]

The complaint was filed at the Kuniyamuthur police station. Gangadharan alleges that no action has been taken so far and Jafer was walking scot free. This is when Gangadharan decided to petition Commissioner to take immediate action in the alleged ‘love jihad’ case.

Besides this Gangadharan has also alleged that Jaffer is part of a five-member Muslim gang who have been trapping vulnerable Hindu girls with ‘love jihad’. He also accused the police of being scared to take action against them as they belong to the Muslim community.

However, sources in the police have said that there was no religious angle to this case and have claimed that the suicide was due to a love dispute.

Last month a minor Hindu girl residing in Brahmpuri area, Meerut Uttar Pradesh, who was abducted a fortnight back had been forcibly converted and married thereafter. In another case of love jihad, a girl who had run of marry a man of her choice was forced to eat cow meat and read namaz.

West Bengal: Amidst mass resignations, another attack at Calcutta National Medical College, one student suffers head injury

The Bengal Doctors Crisis doesn’t appear to be getting resolved anytime soon. With doctors shutting down services demanding increased security, attacks on them have only escalated further since Monday night. Now, we have received reports that a student at the Calcutta National Medical College (CNMC) has been injured following mob violence.

Doctor injured in Calcutta National Medical College

Abhishek Kumar Shaw, a second-year student at the institution, was injured when a mob attacked the Institute on Friday afternoon even as doctors across the state have been submitting their resignations. We were told by a source that there wasn’t adequate security present at the scene when the attack occurred. As per sources, only two Policemen were present while the mob was huge. The attack happened sometime around 4.30 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

“A lot of people gathered at Gate No. 3 of our institution. They started pelting stones, Shaw was injured in the process. It was a head injury. Only 2 Policemen were present, they were requested to increase the security but unfortunately, they did not. The mob carried a lot of stones, too, wonder where they got all those stones from,” we were told.

Since medical institutions shut down services in protest against the attack on doctors and interns at the NRS Medical College and Hospital on Monday night, mobs have attacked doctors and interns at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and CNMC and attacks have been reported from other institutions as well.

The attack at CNMC on Friday marked the second such attack at the institution since Monday. Earlier, two rooms at the Boys’ Hostel in the institution were set on fire, allegedly, with kerosene bombs. In all these situations, the Police were either mute spectators or completely ill-prepared to stop the attacks.

It is truly an unprecedented situation in the state as mass resignations continue to pour from medical institutions across the state. It is important to remember that discussions were underway to resolve the situation when Mamata Banerjee derailed the process by threatening the medical fraternity. Since then, the situation has become infinitely worse.

It’s a marquee event all over the world: Virat Kohli on India-Pakistan clash

Straightaway after the washout against New Zealand, Virat Kohli’s focus turns towards the India-Pakistan encounter.

The two teams will meet for the 7th time in the World Cup on Sunday. An India-Pakistan contest in the world cup is commonly known as the ‘Mother of all Battles.’

“It is an opportunity to create excitement, it is a marquee event all over the world,” said Virat Kohli, the Indian captain in the post-match press conference.

Virat Kohli has not worried too much about losing a point against New Zealand.

“We are playing some good cricket, so we are not too worried about where we stand, having two wins gives you that extra confidence. We will have a couple of practice sessions, so we know where we are in terms of mindset and skill.”

India-Pakistan matches are generally of high intensity in which fans from both countries cannot settle for anything less than a win. There is already off the field war happening on both sides.

Sarfaraz Ahmed took a dig on Indian fans in the pre-match conference against Australia. The ‘Mauka Mauka’ ad by Star Sports as a promo for India-Pakistan, followed by an advertisement from Pakistan side mocking the war prisoner, has created many controversies.

On coping with the pressure of such a big game, Kohli added, “As soon you as enter the field it is calm and relaxed. It is also about going out and having game time. We are quite ready to take that game on.”

“The frenzy around it is a bit intimidating for the guys doing it for the first time, but for us, it is about being professional as always, do the basics right and look to get a result your way,” he said

India has not lost a single game against Pakistan in the World Cup so far. They have also won all the four games against Pakistan in the World T20 tournament.