Doctors vs Samajwadi Party’s alleged ‘goonda raj’

Kanpur –  Thousands of doctors at hospitals across Uttar Pradesh are on strike to protest against what they describe as the “goonda raj” or lawlessness of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

They allege that a mini-riot was caused on Friday night at a government hospital by a state legislator from the Samajwadi Party, headed by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

On Friday night, Irfan Solanki of the Samajwadi Party and his supporters allegedly accused doctors in Kanpur of mistreating a patient.

In the violence that erupted, the police used batons. 24 doctors were arrested. Their colleagues point out that no action was taken against the politician and his supporters. (Read)

Doctors say that to please the Samajwadi Party, the police registered fake cases against the doctors and have written to the Prime Minister and the President seeking their intervention.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has appealed to doctors to get back to work. “The CCTV footage of whatever happened in Kanpur is available and will be probed. Officers have been asked to conduct a probe, meet representatives of both the sides and take action against those who were on the wrong side,” he said.

Doctors at government hospitals have been joined by thousands of others in private practice in the strike which is now in its fourth day.

OPD and emergency services have been crippled in government hospitals because of the strike.

The Kanpur police says that the arrested doctors threw stones at the politician and his supporters.

Meanwhile, leaders of Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party like Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh have extended their support to the agitation.

The arrested doctors have been granted bail this morning, said government officials, but added that the cases against them cannot be withdrawn till the investigation is completed.

The doctors on strike say they will not return to work till a police case is filed against the Samajwadi Party legislator.