Independent MLA offers to resign from Rajasthan Assembly over govt's 'poor handling' of doctors' strike

Jaipur: An Independent MLA from Rajasthan has offered to resign from the legislative Assembly in protest against the government’s handling of doctors’ strike which ended on Wednesday. Rajkumar Sharma on Friday went to meet Assembly Speaker Kailash Meghwal to tender his resignation but had to return back as the latter was not available. “Several patients died during two strikes of doctors in November and December but no responsibility for the deaths was fixed. The government handled the strike very poorly therefore I decided to resign as an MLA,” he said. [caption id=“attachment_4281023” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Rajkumar Sharma. News18[/caption] Sharma, the former MoS for Medical and Health, said the government failed to address the issues of the doctors. “The government failed to fulfil promises to doctors made to them in November and instead transferred 12 doctors in an vindictive manner which forced the doctors to go on strike again in December. “It failed to handle their strikes in efficient manner in November and December,” he said. Sharma, who represents Nawalgarh constituency (Jhunjhunu), said that he would meet Meghwal when he is available. He said he had earlier also raised the issue of the government’s “mishandling” of the doctors’ strike. Sharma had won the 2008-Assembly election as a BSP candidate and supported the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government. He was made the MoS for Medical and Health. He won the 2013-Assembly election as an Independent candidate. The in-service government doctors went on mass leave in November to press for their demands. They, however, ended their strike following assurance from the government that their demands would be looked into. After the transfers of 12 doctors, including the president of the All Rajasthan In-Service Doctors Association Dr Ajay Chaudhary, the doctors announced another leg of their strike on 18 December and accused the government of “vindictive action” against them. The doctors, however, went on an indefinite strike on 16 December after the government invoked the Rajasthan Essential Services Maintenance Act and police started taking doctors under custody on 15 December. The strike was called off on Wednesday after a meeting between doctors and state ministers, including Health minister Kalicharan saraf.