Punjab health minister under fire for forcing surgeon to lie down on dirty mattress
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra has come under fire from several quarters after he was seen forcing the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) to lie on a dirty mattress at a hospital.
VC Raj Bahadur has been learnt to have resigned and requested the Punjab Chief Minister to relieve him from services.
The incident happened Friday, when Jouramajra was on an inspection to Faridkot's Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, which comes under the BFUHS.
A video clip of the incident that circulated on the social media, showed Jouramajra place a hand on the veteran surgeon's shoulder as he pointed towards the "damaged and dirty condition" of the mattress inside the hospital's skin department.
The minister is then seen to be allegedly forcing Dr Bahadur to lie down on the same mattress.
Bahadur in the video is seen explaining to the minister that he was not responsible for the facilities, to which the AAP leader retorted everything is in your hands.
After the incident, Bahadur reportedly told Bhagwant Mann that that kind of atmosphere was not conducive for his work, and requested him to relieve him of his duties.
Bahadur, 71, who has an experience of over four decades having worked at various reputed health institutions too, told PTI over phone on Saturday that he felt humiliated after the minister's behaviour with him.
Asked if he had resigned as the Vice Chancellor, Bahadur said, I have expressed my anguish to the Chief Minister and said I felt humiliated.
Sources said that the CM has taken a strong view of the incident and spoken to Jouramajra. Mann is also learnt to have asked Bahadur to meet him next week.
"When you work so hard and put in your best efforts, one does feel low when you have to face this kind of behaviour," Bahadur said about Friday's incident.
Bahadur, a specialist in spinal surgery and joint replacement, is a former director-principal of Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh and has also been the head of the orthopaedic department at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
The minister, meanwhile, drew flak from various quarters, including the Indian Medical Association.
PCMS Association, a doctors' body in Punjab, too in a statement, strongly condemned the "unceremonious treatment" meted out to Dr Bahadur.
PCMSA said the way the VC was treated was deplorable , its reason notwithstanding.
The body expressed its deep resentment" over the incident and said "public shaming of a senior doctor on systemic issues is strongly condemnable.
Opposition parties hit out at the AAP dispensation over the incident. Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring demanded the minister's resignation.
"Punjab Health Minister @jouramajra's humiliating behaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur is highly condemnable. Minister must apologise," Warring tweeted.
"The sort of behaviour meted by the Health Minister to VC Baba Farid Medical University Dr. Raj Bahadur is absolutely uncalled for. @BhagwantMann ji should take strict action against the arrogant Minister, senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa said in a tweet.
Otherwise such behaviour will alienate our medical fraternity, he continued in the same tweet. Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal called out the minister for "reprehensible behaviour."
"Have spoken to Dr Bahadur & expressed solidarity with him besides assuring full support to entire med fraternity which is being targeted by AAP ministers & MLAs," Badal said in a tweet.
BJP leader Sunil Jakhar said the treatment meted out to distinguished Dr Raj Bahadur is shameful & totally unacceptable.
"Very sad that Dr Raj Bhadur (sic) has resigned, but he has done what any self respecting person would do, Jakhar said in a tweet.
Now it's for @BhagwantMann to do what any conscientious CM ought to do-sack the health minister, if that's what it takes to prevail upon Dr Raj Bhadur (sic) to withdraw his resignation, he wrote.
Cheap theatrics of Aam Aadmi Party never ceases. Today the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid Medical University,Raj Bahadur Singh was publicly humiliated by the Health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra (+2 Pass).This type of mob behaviour will only demoralise our medical staff. pic.twitter.com/ZGJCbEPjhm
— Pargat Singh (@PargatSOfficial) July 29, 2022
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Congress plotting to send Ram Lala to tent again: PM Modi
Giridih (Jharkhand), May 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday attacked the Congress, accusing it of indulging in "shameful" politics and plotting to send "Ram Lala to tent" again.
Alleging that the JMM, Congress and INDIA bloc have become the biggest model of corruption, appeasement and dynastic politics, Modi said he has resolved to free India from these vices.
Addressing a public meeting at Jharkhand's Giridih, the prime minister said, "Shameful statements are being issued by Congress leaders over Ram temple. Their leaders are plotting to send Ram Lala to the tent once again, and talk against the Supreme Court judgement."
The old idol of Ram Lala was kept in a tent-like structure after the Babri Masjid was demolished.
They want to lock the premises again, he claimed and urged people to oust such "corrupt" forces.
Modi said, "Congress forced the nation to Naxalism and destroyed several families, whereas BJP contained Naxal violence in the country."
Asserting that the tribal region of Jharkhand bore the brunt of Naxalism, Modi promised that during his third term as the prime minister, he would wipe out Naxalism and terrorism from the face of the country.
Modi alleged that the JMM-led ruling alliance in Jharkhand has been patronising infiltrators in the state.
He said his topmost priority would be giving priority to deprived people.
The prime minister also said that the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir is one of the biggest steps in the interest of the nation and he is happy that the people there could celebrate the festival of democracy on Monday after decades.
The Srinagar constituency witnessed voting on Monday in the first Lok Sabha election in the Valley since the scrapping of Article 370.
He said INDIA bloc leaders are "dreaming of digging Modi's grave", but he is well protected with "suraksha kavach" of love and affection of people.
"I was not born in a royal family; I was poor. I have lived in poverty and have vowed to free my people from it,” Modi said, adding that this was the reason his government introduced Ayushman Bharat scheme for providing healthcare to the poor and set up AIIMS hospitals in various places including one in Jharkhand’s Deoghar.
He said his government has been providing food grains free to 80 crore people and promised to continue this for the next five years, if voted to power.
Referring to the UPA administration, Modi alleged that during the “Sonia Ben government”, food grains were subjected to rot but not distributed.
Citing instances of recovery of huge cash found at premises linked to Congress leaders in Jharkhand, the prime minister asserted that the JMM-led alliance in the state is neck-deep in corruption.
"JMM and Congress dance to the tune of 'Shahi Parivar'. I will not allow thieves to sleep peacefully,” he said, adding that no corrupt people would be spared.
Modi also said that Jharkhand was devoid of benefits of its minerals including mica in Koderma, but it was his government that ensured that tribal areas get the mineral funds for development.
"During the Congress-JMM regime people got nothing, no benefits of mica were accrued to people. But Modi has ensured Rs 12,000 crore to Jharkhand under District Mineral Fund," he said.
He charged the JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand with patronising infiltrators who were grabbing the land of tribal women by marrying them.
"INDIA bloc has openly announced Vote-Jihad against Modi," he said.
The prime minister said he has resolved to make three crore women "lakhpati didis".
The Lakhpati Didi scheme of the central government is aimed at training women in self-help groups so that they can earn a sustainable income of at least Rs 1 lakh per annum.
Referring to Jhumri Telaiya, a town in Koderma that shot to fame for the maximum number of requests for songs for then Radio Ceylon and Vividh Bharti, Modi said it is "more beautiful than its name" and apologized for the delay in arriving.
The prime minister's rally was initially scheduled at 9 am which was postponed to 1.30 pm and finally started around 5 pm.
He said, "I have brought blessings of Bholebaba from Kashi. I filed my nomination and after filing nomination, this is my first public meeting.'"
A strong government keeps the interest of its people while a weak government as those headed by the Congress weakens the nation, Modi claimed.
Modi was campaigning for Union minister Annapurna Devi who is contesting from Koderma Lok Sabha seat, BJP ally AJSU Party's candidate Chandra Prakash Chaudhary from Giridih Lok Sabha constituency and BJP nominee for Gandey assembly seat Dilip Kumar Verma.
Jailed former Chief Minister Hemant Soren's wife Kalpana Soren is contesting bypoll to Gandey assembly segment which comes under Koderman Lok Sabha constituency.
The elections to these seats will be held on May 20.
