Kejriwal writes to PM Modi on NEET counselling; says doctors should be in hospitals not streets
New Delhi, Dec 28: Amid the ongoing protest by resident doctors in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into ways to "personally resolve" the issue, as he asserted that doctors should be in hospitals not streets, when the coronavirus cases are rising again.
In his letter, he also urged the prime minister to ensure that the NEET-PG counselling process is expedited.
"On one hand, the Omicon variant of the coronavirus is spreading at an alarming speed, on the other, doctors in hospitals under the central government in Delhi are on strike," Kejriwal said in the letter.
In a tweet, he shared a copy of the letter, and also wrote on Twitter: "We strongly condemn the police brutality inflicted on the doctors. The Prime Minister must accept their demands soon.
Intensifying their stir over the delay in NEET-PG 2021 counselling, resident doctors in Delhi on Tuesday gathered in a large number on the premises of Centre-run Safdarjung Hospital, even as police personnel were deployed to ensure maintanence of law and order.
Their protest, a day earlier had taken a dramatic turn, as medics and police personnel had faced off in streets, with both sides claiming several persons suffered injury in the ensuing melee.
Also, later in the day on Tuesday, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a meeting with a delegation of protesting resident doctors and urged them to call off their strike over delay in NEET PG counselling in the larger interest of the public.
In his letter, Kejriwal said that doctors have been on strike for several days, and they served during the pandemic by risking their life, and urged the prime minister to "personally resolve the issue at the earliest".
"COVID-19 cases are rising again. The doctors should be in the hospitals, not in the streets," he wrote.
However, police on Monday had denied any allegations of lathicharge or use of abusive language from their end, and said, 12 protestors were detained and released later.
Kejriwal in his letter said that these are the same doctors that have treated Covid patients over the last year-and-a-half, without caring about their own lives during the pandemic.
He added that numerous doctors have lost their lives to the deadly virus, but they continued to work tirelessly, and did not neglect their duty.
Resident doctors at many big government hospitals like Safdarjung, Ram Manohar Lohia are on strike for the last one month due to repeated postponement of NEET-PG counselling. It is a matter of deep despair that even after their persistent struggle, the demands of these resident doctors were not listened to by the central government, he added.
"However, it is even more upsetting that yesterday, when these doctors were protesting peacefully, the police behaved violently and harassed them," the chief minister alleged.
"Delay in NEET-PG counselling not only affects the future of these doctors but at the same time also causes a shortage of doctors in the hospitals. The burden on the rest of the doctors increases due to this as well. I request the central government to conduct NEET-PG counselling as soon as possible," Kejriwal added.
केंद्र के डॉक्टर कई दिनों से हड़ताल पर हैं। इन्होंने कोरोना में अपनी जान की बाज़ी लगाकर सेवा की। कोरोना फिर बढ़ रहा है। इन्हें अस्पताल में होना चाहिए, ना कि सड़कों पर
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 28, 2021
इन पर जो पुलिस बर्बरता की गई, हम उसकी कड़ी निंदा करते हैं। PM साहिब इनकी माँगे जल्द मानें। PM को मेरा पत्र pic.twitter.com/yE5waHecAz
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Sharad Pawar's 'merger with Cong' remark shows it's difficult for him to run his party,says Fadnavis
Mumbai, May 8: NCP founder Sharad Pawar's remark on regional parties' possible merger with the Congress shows it has become difficult for him to manage his own party, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde latched on to Pawar's comment to target Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying the latter has already become "Congress-minded".
Another leader of the ruling 'Mahayuti' in Maharashtra said Pawar's remarks reflect that ground was slipping from under his feet in his home turf Baramati and the only option before him was merging his party with the Congress.
In an interview to The Indian Express, Pawar said that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress or may look at the option of merger with it if they believe that is best for their party.
To a question if that applied to his own party, Pawar told the newspaper that he doesn't see any difference between the Congress and his party because both belong to the Gandhi, Nehru line of thinking.
Pawar made it clear that any decision on strategy or the next step will be taken collectively. He also said that his party is close to the Congress ideologically and that Uddhav Thackeray is positive about working together with like-minded parties.
Asked about Pawar's remark, Shinde said the Shiv Sena (UBT) has already become Congress-minded.
"Pawar is a big leader and he makes such statements. But the Sena (UBT) faction has already become Congress as they speak the language of the Congress and Pakistan," Shinde, who heads the ruling Shiv Sena, said.
"Just the formality (of merger between them) is remaining," he added.
Fadnavis said that through his remark, Pawar might be suggesting that it was difficult for him to run his party and hence he may opt to merge it with the Congress.
"It is nothing new because Pawar has formed new parties and later merged them with the Congress," he said.
Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, who recently rejoined the ruling Shiv Sena led by CM Shinde, said Pawar has been thinking about merging his party with the Congress for a long time and even the Congress had given the proposal to this effect to him.
"But Congress rejected the proposal to entrust the leadership to Supriya Sule. Pawar's fresh comment suggests that the ground is slipping from under his feet in Baramati. Even if that is not the case, he has no option but merge his party with Congress which will be seen as a merger of two loss-making companies," the former MP said.
BJP leader Prasad Lad asked whether the Sena (UBT) will merge with the Congress along with the Sharad Pawar-led party.
"Uddhav Thackeray has stopped saying 'My Hindu brothers and sisters' at the outset of his speeches. He has become friends with those who criticise Veer Savarkar. Only time will tell whether Thackeray will merge his party with Congress," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said her father made a generic statement.
Leader of Opposition in the state assembly and senior Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar said there was truth in what Pawar said.
"He has a long-term vision. People are fed up with the dictatorial regime and want a change of guard," he said, targeting the BJP-led government.
Chhagan Bhujbal of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP said he doesn't think regional parties will merge with the Congress.
"They are strong in their respective states and have formed governments in West Bengal and Odisha," he said, referring to the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).
The NCP founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999 split in July 2023 after his nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against him and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission and assembly speaker later recognised the Ajit Pawar-led faction as the "real NCP" and allotted the clock symbol to it, while the NCP (SP) group was given 'man blowing turha' as the symbol.
