'I respect doctors; my anger was against 1 surgeon,' clarifies MoS Ahir

New Delhi: Clarifying his earlier statement on a few doctors, whom he advised to join Naxals, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Tuesday said that he respects doctors.

Ahir, who made the remark on Monday at a function at a government hospital in Maharashtra, said his anger was against one doctor who was absent from the event.

"The organiser was himself absent. I have not spoken against the profession but a particular doctor. Whatever I said was for the civil surgeon and no one else. I respect doctors from the bottom of my heart. I just showed my anger on absence of some doctors from the event," he told ANI.

Ahir got angry with a civil surgeon who didn't attend a hospital inauguration ceremony. He lost his temper on learning that the surgeon was on leave.

"I am a minister chosen by democracy. Why did they go on leave despite knowing about my arrival?" asked Ahir.

An angry Ahir also advised the absent doctor to join the Naxals.

"If there is no faith in democracy, then join the Naxalite movement; we will shoot you. There is no need to distribute tablets here. Naxalism does not like democracy," Ahir said.

Gadchiroli, Chandrapur and Gondia districts are the Naxal-affected areas of Maharashtra.