Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has courted controversy yet again with his statement on Friday, threatening the government doctors that he would chop off their hands if found playing truant in treating poor patients of the State. He also said that since he too hailed from poor family he knew their plight.
“If the doctors will be found truant in treatment of poor patients I’ll chop off their hands…I’ll not spare any moment in taking action against them”, declared Mr. Manjhi while addressing a public meeting at Motihari.
He also said that there would not be any paucity of drugs in government hospitals. “I recently took action against the medical staff who were found guilty in drug purchase scam. I also took action against doctors of Patna Medical College and Hospital [PMCH] for not doing their duty,” he said while adding that similarly he would not spare a moment in taking action against all those doctors who would not attend to poor patients.
“Since I too come from a poor family I know the problems and trouble they face in their everyday life… so they must be taken care of properly but if any doctor will be found not attending them I’ll not hesitate in chopping off their hands”, Mr. Manjhi declared. Earlier, on Thursday Mr. Manjhi who comes from a mahadalit community, had announced that even the urban poor would get three decimal of land free from the government, like those poor people living in rural area.
Reacting to Mr. Manjhi’s statement state BJP leader Harendra Pandey said “It’s a stunning statement...like he has been giving in the recent past. It smacks of violence and being a Chief Minister it must not come out from Manjhi’s mouth.”
The BJP has also said that the party would file a case against Bihar chief minister for his recent “atrocious” statement.
