MLA to resign over Rajasthan doctors' strike

Even as the Rajasthan government heaved a sigh of relief as the 12-day doctors' strike finally ended on Wednesday, former minister of state for health and current independent MLA from Navalgarh, Rajkumar Sharma has announced that he will on Friday resign from the legislative Assembly as protest against the government's handling of the strike. The BJP has termed Sharma's action a 'publicity stunt'.

Sharma says he is protesting the government's inaction in ending the doctors' strike. Speaking to DNA, Sharma said, "The government and the health minister are responsible for the second round of the strike and subsequent deaths of the poor patients. What was the need for the minister to issue statements to antagonize the doctors and arbitarily transfer them? There were strikes even when we were in government, but we never abused the doctors," he said.

On Friday, Sharma plans to meet the assembly speaker to submit his resignation. "I will urge the speaker to seek permission from the Governor to call an assembly session for this issue. I will also ask that an FIR be registered against those responsible," he added.

However, dismissing his move, health minister Kalicharan Saraf said, "This is a publicity stunt. He wants to attract attention. Were there no doctors' strikes during their government's tenure? We ended the strike in 12 days; they took 14."