Fans removed, toilets taken away - what's happening at Jr Doctors' protest site | Watch

Agitating junior doctors on Thursday accused the police of pressuring decorators to remove essential items from their protest site outside Swasthya Bhawan in Salt Lake. The protest, which has been ongoing for over a month, saw decorators taking down tents, bamboo shafts, and pedestal fans that had been donated to support the sit-in. According to the doctors, these items were removed under police pressure.

Around midnight on Wednesday, confusion arose when the decorators, who had previously provided these materials for free, started dismantling the tents and other arrangements. Initially, the decorators claimed the items were needed for Durga Puja marquees and would be replaced soon. However, by Thursday afternoon, the junior doctors suspected that police intervention was the reason behind the sudden removal of the donated items.

"We believed the decorators were taking the items for the upcoming Puja celebrations. But later, we learned it was due to police pressure. These tactics will not deter us but only strengthen our resolve," said one of the protesting junior doctors. The Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate has denied the allegations, calling them baseless. "There is no truth to the claim that the police are pressuring decorators. We are here to assist the protesting doctors if they face any problems," said a senior officer.

The ongoing strike by junior doctors has entered its 40th day, with the second round of talks between the West Bengal government and the medics failing to resolve. The doctors expressed frustration with the state government, accusing it of failing to provide written assurances of the discussions, despite multiple requests. The junior doctors remain determined to continue their protest, citing dissatisfaction with verbal agreements and the government's refusal to issue official minutes from the meetings.