IMA president says suit against him is ‘design to harass allopathic doctors’

Indian Medical Association President Dr J A Jayalal has told a Delhi court that a civil suit filed against him for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Ayurveda is part of an “elaborate design” to “harass allopathic doctors and restrain them from exercising their fundamental rights”.

The suit, filed by one Rajender Singh Rajput, has sought a public apology and a direction from the court to desist Jayalal and others from making allegedly derogatory statements against Ayurveda treatment and hurting the sentiments of its believers.

The suit was filed against Dr Jayalal, IMA Secretary General Dr Jayesh Lele, the IMA, the National Medical Commission and the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Advocate Prabhas Bajaj, who filed the reply on behalf of Jaylal, Lele and the IMA, called the suit an attempt to intimidate the doctors’ body and challenged its maintainability.

Civil Judge Deeksha Rao of the Tis Hazari Court directed the rest of the defendants to submit their reply by September 29.

The reply stated that the “plaintiff through the present suit have sought orders which would have a ‘chilling effect’ on the Fundamental right to free speech and expression as well as the Fundamental right to practice any profession.”

The reply stated that the objective of the IMA is to promote and advance medical and asked services, however, there “appeared to be an orchestrated tirade against the IMA.”

The reply stated that there was “no public interest in the present plaint which is part of the elaborate design on part of certain sections of people to seek to harass/intimidate allopathic doctors and restrain them from exercising this fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India.”