Junior doctors and medical students of Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) resorted to a fresh protest on Wednesday afternoon, demanding a new, apolitical students' council and resident doctors' association.

Angry students and junior doctors demanded that steps should be taken to stop the “threat culture” in the MMCH.

Prakriti Manna, an intern, said: “There is 'threat culture' here. Those close to Trinamool leaders get preferences, right from hostel accommodation to academics. If someone protests, he is intimidated and even made to fail exams.”

The MMCH, affiliated to the West Bengal University of Health Sciences, was established in 2011. As of now, it has are 30 PG students and 625 MBBS students.

The demonstrators said that as there is no elected students' council, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit in MMCH runs the show.

“Events like freshers' welcome, college fest, blood donation camps and Independence Day and Republic Day events are organised by the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad unit and those associated with it show themselves as students' representatives. Officials of MMCH attend these events. This practice of one-party activity has to stop. We want an elected apolitical students' council," said an MBBS student.

Protester Pritha Das said authorities pass the buck to Swasthya Bhawan. "We have no faith in Swasthya Bhawan. Without delay, authorities should initiate the process of forming a students' council,” she said.

Prasun Roy, the district TMCP president of Malda, denied the charges. "None from TMCP resorts to highhandedness at the MMCH," he said.

MMCH principal Partha Pratim Mukherjee said they had not got any formal complaint on “threat culture”.