A Trinamool Congress leader in Malda allegedly assaulted an on-duty doctor posted in a state-run hospital, hurled abuses at the nurses, and threatened them with dire consequences on Sunday night.
Abinash Das, the accused, has been arrested. A couple of days ago, he had held a rally under the banner of his party in protest against the junior doctor’s rape and murder in Calcutta.
Prabhakar Saha, a doctor posted at the rural hospital in Harishchandrapur, said Das had admitted his wife, who was pregnant, to the hospital on Sunday evening.
“At around 10.30pm, he came to the hospital and started abusing the nurses, alleging his wife was not being properly treated. As I protested, he assaulted manhandled me, and threatened the nurses with dire consequences,” said Saha.
Some locals and an ambulance driver intervened and tried to dissuade him from such an act.
“We found no other alternative and informed the police. The police came and arrested him. Since then, we are working with a feeling of insecurity,” the doctor added.
Amal Krishna Mandal, the block medical officer of health of Harishchandrapur-I block, also sounded concerned over the attack.
“The information has been passed to senior health officials. We hope the doctors and nurses working at the block hospital will not face any problems in delivering their duties,” he said.
Das, sources said, was intoxicated when he went to the hospital. On Monday, he was produced at a local court and has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
TMC leaders tried to distance themselves from Das.
Tazmul Hossain, the Trinamool MLA of Harishchandrapur who had joined in the protest march organised by Das, denied commenting on the issue.
Abdur Rahim Boxi, the Trinamool president of Malda district, said: “Our party never endorses such unruly activities. We will not take the responsibility of such violence caused by any party worker or leader.”
“We are watching how the police handle the issue. If he is spared, we would resort to movement, involving the local people,” said Ujjwal Dutta, the president of the BJP’s Malda north (organisational) district.