Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday alleged that a "lobby" associated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been inciting and misguiding private doctors protesting against the Right to Health Bill while patients are suffering and not getting timely treatment. The doctors who are protesting have claimed that the execution of this bill will create numerous hurdles in their smooth functioning instead the involvement of local authorities will increase, reported news agency PTI.
When reporters asked CM Gehlot about the ongoing strike, he responded by saying, "People have been given the right to access health services for free up to ₹ 25 lakh as the government will pay for the treatment under the Bill." He then appealed to the doctors to end their protest.
"The recommendations given by the doctors to the finance secretary were all agreed upon but later on some four to five doctors, who are associated with the RSS, raised objections. It is not an allegation but the truth that they are people from the RSS. Those four to five people, associated with the RSS, who misguided the doctors, are 'gaddar' (traitors)," he added, as quoted by PTI.
The Chief Minister then claimed that two people from Delhi came to meet him. He said, "They were directed to Finance Secretary Akhil Arora, but instead of meeting with the secretary, the two went to the governor. They after misguiding doctors here, returned to Delhi." He alleged that those two are also associated with the RSS.
While trying to ease the protestors' concerns, he said that the notification for the bill is yet to be issued and if there would be any doubts and confusion then they would be duly cleared.
He said, "It is not the time for politics as people are suffering and they should immediately end their strike."
A delegation of the protesting doctors met the Chief Minister at the Kota airport. He listened to their concerns while trying to clear all of that and again appealed to them to end the strike.