Bhopal: In a strongly worded tweet that appears to be aimed at the stone pelters in a few pockets of Indore, targeting medical staff, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took an unusually tough position, issuing stern warning.
He said, “This is not just a tweet. This is a stern warning …Human rights are only for humans.” This is a rare outburst for Chouhan who is known for his mild demeanors. In what appears to be a clear message to the incident of stone pelting, Chouhan suggested that human right rules won’t come in the way of taking action against them.
A health department team on a visit to locate persons reportedly infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Indore’s Tat Patti Bakhal area was pelted with stones earlier. The health team consisted of five persons including three doctors. Video of the stone pelting and how the medical team left in a rush to save themselves went viral on social media, sparking outrage.
“The moment we started enquiring about a particular person’s health, people began protesting and were joined by others who resorted to stone pelting. Policemen standing nearby came to our rescue,” a woman doctor said.
Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Pravin Jadia said: “Our team is working to protect people from the coronavirus infection. But people threw stones at them. It was an unfortunate incident.”
“Two women doctors somehow protected themselves by hiding in tehsildar’s vehicle,” added Jadia.
A complaint was filed at Chhatripura police station. A police officer said that during the incident the protesters also broke the barricade. A case of rioting will be pursued against them.
And now with the CM taking an unusually strong stand on the issue promising ‘stern’ actions, the matter has assumed even more significance.
IANS
