In a major embarrassment to the Bhagwant Mann Government in Punjab, Vice Chancellor (VC) of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) Faridkot, Dr Raj Bahadur has resigned from the post citing ‘humiliation’ after he was forced by the Punjab Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra to lie on a dirty mattress at the hospital.

While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, on Saturday, defended the minister saying he was “distressed to find the dilapidated condition of beds and lack of cleanliness at the BFUHS”, the Opposition demanded the dismissal of the minister and the  medical fraternity also sought an apology from Jouramajra for his ‘unruly’ behaviour.

In the video of the minister’s visit to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot on Friday, Jouramajra can be seen forcibly asking the VC to lie on the bed in the dermatology department

A visibly angry Jouramajra can be heard speaking rudely with the VC over the lack of cleanliness in the medical college despite explanation by Bahadur, who was on his third extension as the VC and is a specialist in spinal surgery and joint replacement and a former director-principal of Government Medical College and Hospital in Chandigarh. He has also been the head of the orthopaedic department at PGIMER, Chandigarh. In protest against the misbehavior with the VC, Bahadur’s secretary OP Chaudhary has also resigned from the post.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, who met the VC on Saturday to express solidarity, demanded the minister’s resignation over Jouramajra’s humiliating behaviour with Dr  Bahadur. “I couldn’t see eye to eye with Dr Raj Bahadur Ji, as there was helplessness in his eyes. It was not he who felt insulted and humiliated, but all of us together. Entire Punjab stands in solidarity with you, Sir,” Warring said in a tweet after the meeting.

Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Partap Singh Bajwa said the sort of behaviour the minister meted out to Dr Raj Bahadur is absolutely uncalled for. “Bhagwant Mann ji should take strict action against the arrogant minister,” he said in a tweet.

“Outrageous & atrocious behaviour of Punjab Health Minister Chetan Jouramajra is unacceptable. Not only should he apologise to Dr Raj Bahadur, a distinguished doctor, he should be sacked immediately. This is a test case for Bhagwant Mann  to restore the confidence of the medical community. Otherwise such behaviour will alienate our medical fraternity,” former CM, Captain Amarinder Singh.

The AAP, however, took on the Opposition for “shedding crocodile tears” over the incident.  AAP’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said no one from the Opposition speaks when a poor man dies due to deplorable health conditions and cavalier attitude of government staff.

“The health minister has been visiting government hospitals for a month now to transform the system. He did not want to disrespect anyone but the AAP government will not tolerate any laxity in the system,” he said.

Kang, however, clarified that the CM Mann led government has utmost respect for doctors and medical facilities and the state government is committed to safeguard their interest as well as to uplift the standard of facilities in the government hospitals.