Mumbai: Union Minister Hansraj Ahir, apparently furious at the absence of senior doctors at a function he was attending in Maharashtra, has landed in a huge controversy with his outburst. "These people, if they don't believe in democracy, should join Maoists and the government will pump bullets into them," fumed the Minister of State for Home Affairs in the widely-reported comments.
Mr Ahir was speaking at the launch of a 24x7 store for medicines at a government-run hospital in eastern Maharashtra's Chandrapur, which he represents in parliament.
"The mayor came, the deputy mayor came but what stopped the doctors from coming for the event?" demanded the minister, on noting that doctors were missing.
The district civil surgeon, Uday Nawade, and dean of the medical college, SS More, were not present at the event organized to mark "Good Governance Day" on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birthday.
"What do the Naxals want? They don't want democracy... So these people (the absent doctors) don't want democracy, then they should join the Naxals. Why are you here? Then (once you join the Naxals) we will pump golis (bullets) into you, why you are giving goli (pills) here? I have come here and these people are going on leave, what can I say?" said Mr Ahir in Marathi.
Mr Ahir questioned whether it was appropriate for doctors to go on leave when a "democratically-elected" minister was on a visit.
Chandrapur is one of the four districts in Maharashtra that have been identified by the central government as affected by Maoist violence.
