Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 8 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday questioned the Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the assault on women doctors and nurses at a Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) hospital, demanding strict punishment for the "Mindhe gang."
"Honorable Chief Minister @Dev_Fadnavis ji, please worship the Home Minister portfolio you hold! The angels in white clothes who served the people during the Corona period, those women doctors and nurses are beaten inhumanely by the Mindhe gang's thugs who barge into the hospital-- is this what a rule of law is?" he asked.
Raut further called for CM Fadnavis to "put handcuffs on all of them and parade them in the streets in just their underwear and vest!"
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Corporator Ramesh Mhatre on Wednesday refuted all the claims of the alleged assault on women doctors and nurses at a Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) hospital, saying that the CCTV footage 'may look that way' due to the angle. Mhatre asserted that he did not raise a hand on any medical staff during the visit.
Speaking at a press conference, the Shiv Sena Corporator expressed regret over the incident and alleged that the nurse was not listening to the grievances and was constantly speaking on her phone, after which he tapped her on the hand.
"I express regret over the incident of assault that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle. I address her informally (using "tu") because she is like a daughter to me. I am not even aware of whether she is married or not. While we were conversing, she kept talking on the phone and was not listening to our grievance; that is why I tapped her on the hand. We have been guided by Balasaheb's teachings. We have never raised a hand against women, nor will we ever do so in the future. The incident occurred due to systemic shortcomings within the hospital. We will strive to address those deficiencies. The individuals who prompted my visit there will provide further details regarding the entire incident. The people who had called me did not answer my calls. I arrived at the scene considering the gravity of the situation. They are the ones who will provide the full details," he said.
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde condemned the incident, noting that a case has been registered and strict action will be taken against the guilty.
However, the opposition has torn into the Sena for the conduct of its corporator alleging that the party was drunk on power.
Maharashtra Congress President, Harshwardhan Sapkal said, "Shinde faction's corporator Ramesh Mhatre's thuggery at the hospital. Daring to raise hands against a female doctor, nurses, and staff who gave medical advice to go to another hospital for the patient's safety due to unavailability of beds--this cannot happen without the intoxication of power."
Chief Patron, Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), Rohan Krishnan, termed the incident as "deeply unfortunate," underlining that a nation cannot expect its healthcare officials to serve selflessly while remaining vulnerable to physical attacks and humiliation.