Mumbai: Expressing displeasure over the statement made by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut regarding doctors, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanding a public apology from the leader.

On Saturday, Raut had told a Marathi channel, “Doctors do not know anything. Compounders are better. I always take medicine from a compounder, never from a doctor.. WHO is a useless organisation. Because of WHO, the Covid-19 pandemic happened.”

“Many doctors have been working for days without going home and without even seeing their family. If the doctors don’t know anything, then why did the government form the action team to treat Covid patients?” the association asked.

The statement made by Sanjay Raut is an insult to the young doctors in the state. Raut should apologize for the statement otherwise, the doctors will take to the streets, the letter warned.

Dr Rohan Metkari, vice president, KEM, said, “Raut's statement not only raises questions on efficiency of doctors but also adversely affects morale during the pandemic. Therefore, in order to clear the confusion and misunderstanding among the people, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut should not only apologize to the doctors but also to the general public.”

Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis took a dim view of Raut's reported remarks on doctors, saying they have hurt feelings of the medical fraternity. “I don’t know in what sense he had made that statement. But, I feel that giving such statements is not proper amidst the Covid scenario. Our doctors are working really hard. They are putting their lives into danger and working day and night for us. This statement has hurt their feelings,” the former CM said.