Mangalore: SDPI demands govt hospital in Ullal; slams minister Jain
Pic: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, May 29: Akram Hasan, state secretary, SDPI on Wednesday May 29 urged health minister U T Khadar to upgrade the primary health centre at Ullal which consists of five beds at present, and increase it to 50-bed government aided district hospital.
Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, Akram said,“Ullal constituency consists of more than two lac citizens. A 50-bed government hospital is a minimum requirement today to meet the needs of the people”.
Akram also openly criticized the newly-inducted state minister for fisheries K Abhaychandra Jain for expressing his desire to relinquish the portfolio on religious grounds and said that he should not bow down to pressure from any community.
"India is a secular country. It is the duty of the minister to serve the society without any discrimination. Fish is a part and parcel of the life of Karavali people. It is not correct to relinquish the post due to pressure from any community.
Jain had reportedly said that as he is a Jain and a vegetarian, and because Jainism is against all forms of killing, he wants to give up the fisheries department on the request of his community leaders and supporters. However, he later retracted and said that he was not a 'sanyasi' to do so and insisted that he had been misquoted by the media.
"If he is unhappy with the post, the minister should have brought it to the notice of the chief minister or the high command rather than making such statements in the public," Akram added, urging the chief minister not to accept Jain's demand.
He also referred to the recent allegation against SDPI that it had printed handbills against U T Khadar in the Ullal constituency during elections and said, “Fingers were pointed at SDPI for spreading handbills which termed Khadar's participation in ‘Astamangala Puja’ as 'anti-Muslim'. SDPI clearly denies these allegations. Our purpose is to build communal harmony. We have no intentions whatsoever of creating mistrust. Without proof, no one has the right to make such allegations.”
Abubakkar Kulai, district president of SDPI condemned the recent attack on the party office at B C Road and warned that if such incidents repeat, SDPI will launch a state-wide agitation.
Akbar Ali, chief secretary, Nawaaz Ullal, district committee member were present at the press meet.