Hubballi: BJP Member of Parliament from Uttara Kannada, Anant Kumar Hegde was caught on the CCTV camera of a private hospital in Sirsi assaulting two of its doctors and a staff member Monday night. All three have been injured on the face and neck.
While the CCTV footage went viral on electronic media , hundreds of doctors in Sirsi staged a protest and submitted a memorandum to the assistant commissioner demanding protection.
The MP allegedly went berserk as he believed the doctors at the Totagar's Seva Samiti (TSS) Hospital had neglected his mother when she arrived there Monday night with his brother for treatment of a leg injury caused by an accidental fall a week ago.
Denying this, the doctors claimed they were busy in surgery, and had advised the MP's mother to go for surgery. They maintained that his brother took a while to consult his family doctor and then opted to visit another hospital in Mangaluru for his mother's treatment.
But later that night, the MP arrived at the hospital and began raving and ranting about the poor treatment she had received. He then allegedly beat up Dr Madhukeshwar and Dr Balachandra Bhat and a staff member, Rahul Marshakar, who tried to intervene.
"The MP's mother was admitted to the hospital and given all the attention she needed, but the BJP leader severely beat up the two doctors and a staff member for no fault of theirs. The incident has left the medical fraternity traumatised as an elected representative has himself assaulted doctors," said Dr Kailash Pai, Sirsi taluk president of the Indian Medical Association.
Dr Madhukeshwar too said the assault had caused a sense of insecurity among the medical fraternity. While all three injured are currently being treated at the same hospital, Uttar Kannada DySP, Nagesh Hegde said the doctors had not lodged any complaint against the BJP leader.
Mr Hegde has been embroiled in several controversies of late. His reported remarks allegedly belittling Muslims had sparked protests and led to the filing of a police complaint.
