The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF), the body of junior doctors that spearheaded the protests in the aftermath of the RG Kar rape and murder incident, is back in the limelight again after its “official website” [www.wbjdf.com] went offline.
In October last year, the West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Association (WBJDA), a body formed more than two months after protests had begun, accused WBJDF members of misusing the funds raised through crowdfunding during the statewide protests for their personal gain.
The association reiterated their allegations on Monday after the front’s website appeared to have gone down. In a Facebook post, where West Bengal minister Dr Shashi Panja was tagged, the WBJDA drew comparisons between the crowdfunding efforts by WBJDF and the notorious chit-fund scams in West Bengal.
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“No more money will come from the chit fund. Is that the reason why they are disappearing?” the WBJDA asked, adding that the front disguised its protests as a demand for justice for the victim of the RG Kar incident, but its true motive was to fulfil its own political and financial interests.
Kunal Ghosh, the general secretary of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), has also accused the protesting junior doctors of misusing funds for a long time. He alleged that some members of the group took advantage of the RG Kar protests to advance their careers and generate income through private practice while stopping their duties at government healthcare facilities.
Meanwhile, the front has rebutted all the allegations raised against it, claiming its website was yet to be launched. Dr Aniket Mahato of WBJDF told THE WEEK that it would soon go live.
He said, “Our website is not ready yet. We are still working on some sections and other technical aspects. That’s why sometimes it’s turning on and off. The allegation that we have removed our website is completely false.”
When asked about the allegations that WBJDF members misused the crowdfunding money for personal gain, Dr Mahato stated that they are in the process of conducting an internal audit of all the bank accounts used for crowdfunding during the protest period.
“We have evidence for every single transaction. Once the audit is complete, we will put it out and then people will decide,” he said, adding that these allegations are being labelled to tarnish the image of protesters.
