Eknath Shinde reprimands Shiv Sena corporator arrested for assaulting woman doctor
Eknath Shinde reprimanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre after his arrest for assaulting a woman doctor and other medical staff at a Thane hospital, as the party distanced itself from the incident following widespread outrage over a viral video.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reprimanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who was arrested for assaulting a woman doctor and other medical staff at a hospital in Thane district, state Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Thursday.
The incident triggered widespread outrage after a video of the assault went viral. The footage showed Mhatre slapping and punching a doctor, hitting him on the head with a register, and striking a woman doctor on her hand.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhan Bhavan, Samant said, "Our party's line is very clear. It is inappropriate to hit a woman doctor. Many in the Shiv Sena, as well as the state health minister, have stressed that such an assault was wrong."
He said the deputy chief minister had rightly reprimanded the Sena corporator. "There was no political intervention, which means we are not endorsing his action," Samant said.
The assault took place on Monday evening at the Shastri Nagar Hospital run by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe had advised the relatives of a newborn to shift the baby to another facility because there was no space in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Police said the relatives then contacted Mhatre, who arrived at the hospital with his aides and assaulted the doctors.
Mhatre had earlier denied hitting the woman doctor and claimed the CCTV footage was misleading. However, the Opposition and leaders from his own party, including Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, condemned the assault on the woman doctor.
Thane MP Naresh Mhaske said on Wednesday that the Shiv Sena leadership had issued a show-cause notice to the accused corporator. Besides Mhatre, three of his associates have also been arrested in connection with the case.
The case has drawn sharp criticism, with the Shiv Sena leadership distancing itself from the corporator's actions, even as four people, including Mhatre, have been arrested over the assault at the hospital.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reprimanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, who was arrested for assaulting a woman doctor and other medical staff at a hospital in Thane district, state Industries Minister Uday Samant said on Thursday.
The incident triggered widespread outrage after a video of the assault went viral. The footage showed Mhatre slapping and punching a doctor, hitting him on the head with a register, and striking a woman doctor on her hand.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhan Bhavan, Samant said, "Our party's line is very clear. It is inappropriate to hit a woman doctor. Many in the Shiv Sena, as well as the state health minister, have stressed that such an assault was wrong."
He said the deputy chief minister had rightly reprimanded the Sena corporator. "There was no political intervention, which means we are not endorsing his action," Samant said.
The assault took place on Monday evening at the Shastri Nagar Hospital run by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe had advised the relatives of a newborn to shift the baby to another facility because there was no space in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Police said the relatives then contacted Mhatre, who arrived at the hospital with his aides and assaulted the doctors.
Mhatre had earlier denied hitting the woman doctor and claimed the CCTV footage was misleading. However, the Opposition and leaders from his own party, including Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, condemned the assault on the woman doctor.
Thane MP Naresh Mhaske said on Wednesday that the Shiv Sena leadership had issued a show-cause notice to the accused corporator. Besides Mhatre, three of his associates have also been arrested in connection with the case.
The case has drawn sharp criticism, with the Shiv Sena leadership distancing itself from the corporator's actions, even as four people, including Mhatre, have been arrested over the assault at the hospital.
