Senior UP doctor faces suspension, FIR for comments on Yogi, state govt

The acting Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of a government hospital in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has been booked for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the state government. The following morning, the state government suspended him and ordered a departmental inquiry on various other charges.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday, when members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gathered outside the Birsinghpur government hospital to protest what they described as poor facilities. Acting CMS Bhaskar Prasad attempted to calm the demonstrators.

A video clip of the exchange, which later went viral, appeared to show one protester threatening to hold an effigy procession of the CMS and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). In response, Prasad was allegedly heard remarking that instead of targeting hospital officials, the protest should be directed against the government or Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Indian Express reported.

Following the circulation of the video, a local BJP leader lodged a complaint at the Jaisinghpur police station, accusing Dr Prasad of making objectionable comments against the state government and the chief minister. An FIR was subsequently registered in the matter, the Indian Express reported.

Dr Bhaskar Prasad did not respond to calls or messages from The Indian Express seeking his comment on the matter.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who also holds the Health portfolio, confirmed to The Indian Express that Dr Prasad had been suspended for allegedly making inappropriate remarks about the state government. Dr Prasad had been serving as the officiating Chief Medical Superintendent at the 100-bed government hospital in Birsinghpur, which became operational only a year ago. According to Pathak, members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had gone to the hospital to protest against what they claimed were inadequate medical facilities.

Pathak added that a video of the incident appeared to show protesters warning Dr Prasad that they would take out an effigy procession against him, to which the doctor allegedly replied that they should instead take out a procession against the government. The deputy chief minister maintained that the hospital already offered good facilities for a rural area, explaining that as the institution was relatively new, it would take some time to become fully equipped.

BJP Sultanpur district president Susheel Tripathi told The Indian Express that after party members viewed the viral video, they alerted both the district administration and senior leaders. The local party unit then filed a complaint against Dr Prasad. Tripathi said the doctor’s comments were a violation of service rules, and that the government had acted promptly by suspending him.

Meanwhile, a team of officials sent by the state Health Directorate visited the hospital on Monday to investigate the incident and has since submitted its report.