‘You are harassing doctors’: Bandipora CMO tells J&K Police in viral video
Days after a senior cardiologist was detained by police in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday intercepted the official vehicle of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bandipora while he was enroute to a quarantine centre.
Two videos of the CMO Bandipora Dr Tajamul Hussain shouting at the police personnel posted at a checkpoint in Bandipora district have gone viral on social media.
“I was on way to Chitarnar area sampling site and on official duty. When we reached, near Nasoo, there was a checkpoint, they were not allowing vehicles. My driver approached them and said it is CMO’s vehicle and he begged before them to please let us go. When they didn’t listen, then only I came down and shouted and screamed,” Tajamul told The Indian Express on Tuesday afternoon.
Tajamul was travelling in his official vehicle, on which an emergency light is installed. In the video, he is seen telling the police officials, “We are here to fight coronavirus. Didn’t you see this is health vehicle…this is CMO’s vehicle. You are harassing doctors…,” he said.
Tajamul said that he was allowed to proceed only after the intervention of senior officers. “From the spot, I contacted DM sahib who even told me to make him talk to the cops. They didn’t listen. Then a DySP officer reached to the spot and I was allowed to move,” he said. “I know they are doing the duty and they can check the vehciles, but there are clear instructions from DM that health workers shouldn’t be stopped at all. Isn’t this harassment by the police?”
SP Bandipora, Rahul Malik said that the matter was resolved on the spot. “There was no harassment by the police,” he told The Indian Express.
In a statement issued by Malik, he said, “Video clip of CMO Bandipora as it doesn’t serve any purpose rather give unnecessary weight to sensationalism. Matter was resolved there and then on spot. Confusion was there because of DC order yesterday who banned entire traffic from nussu to Nowpora. So police was following those directions. Matter was resolved amicably.”
The J&K Police is facing criticism after a senior interventional cardiologist was detained by a SHO in Srinagar on May 23, when he was on way to a hospital. The police have already ordered an inqury into the matter.
Indian express
