Doctors in Karnataka hold protest seeking justice for Kolkata rape-murder victim
Bengaluru (PTI): Members of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Karnataka on Saturday joined the nationwide protest condemning the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.
Seeking justice for the 31-year-old trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and killed in a Kolkata hospital, a protest march is being taken out by the doctors in several parts of the southern state.
In Bengaluru, the agitation is taking place at the IMA office in Chamarajpet where over 1,000 doctors are participating.
The IMA Karnataka unit president Srinivasa S told PTI that its branches across Karnataka will remain shut and there will be no OPD services anywhere.
"All we want is justice for this young female doctor who was brutally raped and killed. What happened with her is totally unacceptable. We don't want any political involvement. Just like other professionals, doctors are also working in sensitive areas and so, we want a central law to safeguard doctors," he said.
Their other demands include - setting up safe zones and restrooms for doctors in hospitals who are working round the clock, there should be sufficient number of CCTV cameras installed inside every hopsital.
Pointing to instances of assault on doctors, he said police personnel should also be deployed in hospitals to ensure security.
"We are fighting for a genuine cause. In our country, women are worshipped. When we saves the lives of people, we are called Gods and this is how our doctors are treated. They are not safe at their workplace. We don't have safe zones, restrooms for doctors who work long hours. We are always told we are working for a social cause, for a noble cause and this is how our fraternity is treated," he lamented.
Demanding safety and security of doctors at workplace, he said the future of doctors should be safe and for that, both the central and state governments should work towards it effectively.
"No emergency services across any hospitals in Karnataka will be affected due to the strike," he added.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka government on Friday suspended the leaves of the medical officers and surgeons of government hospitals.
In a circular, the Health and Family Welfare Department said all the district health and family welfare officers and district surgeons along with the administrative officers of all the hospitals should ensure that emergency services are not affected, causing trouble for people.
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Modi govt by changing name of MGNREGA exposed its 'hatred' towards Gandhi: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attempting to change the name and structure of the MGNREGA, has itself exposed its "hatred" towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi.
He also accused the Centre of "altering" the very structure of the scheme, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, and called Modi "anti federal".
Suggesting that the NDA government at the Centre start a "Ministry of Name Change", with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio, the CM warned of a statewide agitation against this name change move.
The Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, 2025, that seeks to replace the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid strong objections by the opposition to the "removal" of Mahatma Gandhi's name from it.
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"The Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is attempting to change the name and structure of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGA), has itself exposed its hatred towards the poor and towards Mahatma Gandhi," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.
Implemented by the UPA government 20 years ago, the MGNREGA scheme has played a crucial role in eradicating unemployment and poverty in rural areas, he said, adding that "this scheme, which guarantees the right to employment to every individual, has received praise from economists both in India and abroad."
Noting that MGNREGA was a genuine form of employment guarantee, the CM said the proposed new structure under the Modi government strips away that guarantee and places the assurance of work at the whims of political leaders.
"This will further deepen caste discrimination and social inequality," he claimed.
Highlighting that the NDA government has altered the very structure of MGNREGA, a scheme whose entire expenditure was earlier borne by the Central government, by shifting nearly 40 per cent of the cost onto the state governments, Siddaramaiah said this stands as clear evidence of the "anti-federal attitude" that Prime Minister Modi has followed ever since coming to power.
"This move will also increase the migration of poor people in search of work as the proposed form does not guarantee employment in their own location -- forcing families to travel long distances to survive," he said.
Naming this scheme after Mahatma Gandhi, who sowed the dream of Gram Swaraj, was a meaningful decision, the CM said, "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi indulges in praising Gandhi during his foreign tours, within the country he has consistently engaged in attempts to erase Gandhi's legacy from key national programmes. From a parivar that seeks to glorify Gandhi's assassin Godse, what different conduct can one really expect?"
"Narendra Modi is widely known for simply changing the names of landmark schemes launched by the UPA government rather than preserving or strengthening them. It would be more appropriate for this government to start a 'Ministry of Name Change,' with the Prime Minister himself holding that portfolio," he said.
More than 25 flagship programmes launched during earlier governments were merely renamed or repackaged by the present regime, the CM further said, listing out that the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was rechristened as the Swachh Bharat Mission, while the Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account scheme was rebranded as the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, among others.
"These changes reflect a consistent pattern of altering names rather than fundamentally strengthening or expanding the original intent of these welfare initiatives," he added.
Stating that the Congress party and state government strongly condemn this "anti-people" decision of the Narendra Modi government, which has snatched food from the plates of the poor, insulted Bapu, and attempted to strangle state governments financially, Siddaramaiah warned about launching a statewide agitation against this move.
"The responsibility of preserving the MGNREGA scheme in its original form must also be taken up by the lakhs of beneficiaries of the scheme. They must hold the BJP leaders of the state accountable and exert pressure on them to raise their voices against this injustice, rising above party lines," he said.
