A day after Union minister Anantkumar Hegde kicked up a political row with ‘seculars don’t know their parental blood’ remark, another minister from Modi government has triggered a controversy with his outburst on doctors who were not present at an event he was attending in Maharashtra.
Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir, who was apparently upset over the absence of senior doctors from the inaugural function of a 24×7 store for medicines in a government-run hospital at Chandrapur, on Monday said: “If these people don’t believe in democracy, they should join Naxals and we will shoot them.”
Speaking in Marathi, Ahir said: “What do the Naxals want? They don’t want democracy. I handle the home ministry, so I know it. These people (referring to the senior doctors) don’t want democracy. So they should join Naxals. Why do you stay here? Go there, then we will shoot you with bullets. Why do you give tablets here? How justified is it to remain absent when I am coming to the hospital.”
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Ahir wondered whether it was appropriate for doctors to go on leave when a “democratically-elected” minister was on a visit.
Image Credit: Hansraj Ahir’s Twitter handle
“The mayor came, the deputy mayor came but what stopped the doctors from coming for the event?” the minister demanded to know.
The district civil surgeon, Uday Nawade, and dean of the medical college, SS More, were missing from the event that was also organized to mark “Good Governance Day” on former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s birthday.
“I proceeded on leave on December 23 for personal reasons, and will join on December 26. I received the message about this programme late on Sunday evening. I don’t have anything else to say.” The Indian Express quoted Dr Nawade as saying.
Dr More too said he was “on leave from December 23 to 31”. He added that his deputy and acting dean, Dr M J Khan, was present at the function on Monday.
On Sunday, Minister of State for Skill Development Anant Kumar Hegde kicked up a political storm with his remark that secular people do not have an “identity of their parental blood” and pressed upon the need to ‘change the constitution’.
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Speaking at an event in Koppal district of Karnataka, Hegde said, “Those claiming to be secular and progressive do not have an identity of their parents and their blood.
The firebrand leader also stressed that constitution needs to be changed from time to time.
“I respect the Constitution, but the Constitution has changed according to the times on many occasions in the past and it will change in the future. We are here to change the Constitution.”
