CPI(M) slams FIR against Munir Katipalla, Abdussalam Puthige, calls it anti-democratic
Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has strongly condemned the filing of an FIR against its district secretary Munir Katipalla and Vartha Bharati Editor-in-Chief Abdussalam Puthige, calling it an act of "desperation" and "anti-democratic behavior."
In a press statement issued on Monday, the CPI(M) accused the Puttur unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and its secretary Dr. Ganesh Prasad Mudraje of targeting Munir Katipalla over his persistent criticism of private hospitals and his role in exposing the alleged communal role of certain doctors in the Puttur Government Hospital incident.
The FIR was reportedly filed through a court directive by the Puttur Medical Association, which the CPI(M) claims is politically motivated and intended to silence dissenting voices. The party alleged that some office bearers of the association have communal inclinations, and the move to file a complaint is an attempt to divert attention from the larger issues affecting the public health sector in the region.
“This is a private complaint aimed at damaging the dignity of the medical profession,” the CPI(M) said. It further stated that false allegations are being made to suppress those speaking up against the corporatization of healthcare and the alleged communalization of medical spaces.
The party said it will launch a legal battle and a public protest movement against the FIR. It also announced plans to hold condemnation meetings in association with like-minded groups and to file a detailed petition with documents to the party's Central Committee, demanding that action be taken to seek the cancellation of the medical registration of the Puttur and Mangaluru branches of the association.
The CPI(M) also criticised the silence of the Doctors' Association on pressing issues such as corporate control over the health sector and the rising cost of treatment. According to the statement, the association has failed to speak up for the common people but is now targeting individuals raising their voice for justice.
“The misuse of the regulations to shield vested interests is unacceptable and will be strongly opposed,” the party said. It called the recent press releases from the Puttur and Mangaluru branches of the association oppressive and dictatorial in tone, accusing them of trying to intimidate the public through goon-style tactics.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
