NEET PG protest: Kejriwal writes to PM, condemns police action on doctors

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the central government to conduct NEET-PG counselling as soon as possible, and strongly condemned the “police brutality on the doctors.”

New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to “personally resolve” the issues of protesting doctors in the capital, and added that when Covid cases are rising, doctors should be in hospitals and not on the streets “struggling for a safe future”.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking to resolve the issues being raised by doctors who are protesting against the delay in NEET PG counselling. (HT Photo)

Kejriwal urged the central government to conduct NEET-PG counselling as soon as possible, and strongly condemned the “police brutality on the doctors”.

Thousands of doctors are protesting against the delaying NEET-PG counselling. The exam was scheduled to be held in January this year, but was postponed in view of the first and second Covid-19 waves. The exam was finally held on September 12. However, due to the legal challenges in the Supreme Court the counselling has been put on hold. The protesters have maintained that the delay has resulted in a shortage of 45,000 doctors.

“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. Resident doctors at many big government hospitals such as AIIMS, 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. However, it is even more upsetting that yesterday, when these doctors were protesting peacefully, the police behaved violently and harassed them,” Kejriwal said.

The doctors have alleged that they were thrashed and dragged on the road when they were taking out a march near ITO on Monday.

The Delhi CM underlined the role played by the doctors in fighting Covid pandemic. “Prime Minister, these are the same doctors who treated Covid patients over the last year and a half, without caring about their own lives during the pandemic. We do not know how many such doctors were killed during the Covid crisis, but they worked tirelessly, and did not neglect their duty on any account. It is very sad to see doctors go on strike.”

“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,” he said.

Kejriwal stated that currently Covid-19 cases are again on the rise in the whole country. “If our doctors continue to strike then how will we fight against Corona? This situation needs all these doctors to be inside hospitals, taking care of patients, not fighting on the streets. Therefore, I request you to personally solve their problems at the earliest,” Kejriwal stated.