Centre seeks report on violence, doctors' stir from WB govt

In the backdrop of political violence in West Bengal, the Centre has sought a report from the state government on measures taken to contain political violence, and another on the ongoing strike by doctors.

According to sources, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in an advisory issued to the state government said, "unabated violence over the years is evidently a matter of deep concern."

The MHA pointed out the number of election-related incidents of political violence, as well as casualties over the last four years - from 2016 to 2019.

With regards to the doctors' stir, the MHA said, "This Ministry is in receipt of a number of representations from doctors, health care professionals and medical associations from different parts of the country for their safety and security in view of the ongoing strike by doctors in West Bengal. It is requested that a detailed report be sent urgently on the representations and the ongoing strike by the doctors."

Doctors have been protesting against rising violence the medical fraternity is facing after a junior doctor of Nil Ratan Sarkar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital was allegedly attacked by the relatives of a patient who died on June 10.

Both the junior and senior doctors are on strike from the past five days after two of their colleagues were attacked and seriously injured over an issue of alleged negligence at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday.

On the other hand, even after the polls have come to a close, TMC and BJP are still at loggerheads in the state. In an election that was marred by violence, BJP made deep inroads into the Trinamool Congress territory by winning 18 seats in Lok Sabha and restricting the TMC to only 22 seats against 34 it had won in 2014 national polls.