Amritsar, August 21
Junior doctors protesting against Punjab government’s dilly-dallying attitude towards their demands at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital were today lathicharged as the hospital administration remained a mute spectator to the episode.

The police detained at least four doctors for hours while doctors claimed that 40 doctors, including 20 women doctors suffered injuries in the lathicharge.

The trouble started when the junior doctors locked the OPD, operation theatres and X-ray centres of the hospital. The hospital authorities tried to persuade them to open the locked departments. However, they allegedly pushed the SDM and the police force when they tried to open the locks of the OPD. It led to flaring up of the situation.

Meanwhile, the agitating doctors sent telegrams to the authorities concerned demanding a judicial probe into the high-handedness of the police and the college authorities. They also sought the resignation of medical college principal Jagdish Gargi, and medical superintendent RPS Boparai for their failure to control the situation.

Condemning the incident, the Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers Association demanded the transfer of Dr Boparai, who, it alleged, called the police. It alleged that the entire college faculty, including senior professors, teachers and doctors were holding a meeting with the principal to persuade the junior doctors to call off the strike and they had also agreed for negotiations.

There was no point in calling the police. Meanwhile, the association called an emergency general body meeting tomorrow and threatened to join junior doctors if action was not taken against Dr Boparai.

Dr Boparai refuted the allegation that he had called the police and district administration. He said the administration knew about the tension at the hospital and intervened when patients faced problems due to the agitation.

Dr Gargi, in a faxed statement released to the Press, denied calling the police and claimed that the administration intervened in view of the inconvenience faced by the public. He said neither the police nor the district administration took any permission from him to act against the agitators.

Meanwhile, the JDs and Medical Students Association threatened to intensify the stir and not to succumb to government’s arm-twisting tactics. They went on an indefinite strike today.