Haryana Women Commission chairperson resigns amid nurses' demand for apology | Hindustan Times (original) (raw)
Chandigarh, Haryana Women Commission chief Renu Bhatia submitted her resignation on Tuesday amid a demand for apology from nurses over her remarks against fellow professionals in Kurukshetra.
Haryana Women Commission chairperson resigns amid nurses' demand for apology
Government nurses in Haryana have been on a protest, seeking an apology from Bhatia for a reprimand.
Bhatia visited Kurukshetra after a 62-year-old consultant doctor at the civil hospital was charged and arrested in connection with the sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl.
The chief of the women's panel allegedly reprimanded the nurses and officials at the hospital over perceived negligence.
On Tuesday, Bhatia sent a resignation letter to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.
In her letter, the official who served as the panel chief for more than four years said she would keep fighting for women's rights.
"I am currently resigning from this post. So, please accept my resignation," she said in her letter written in Hindi.
When contacted, Bhatia said she had submitted her resignation due to family reasons, and her move must not be linked with the nurses' demand.
"I am going to Japan for 20 days, and then I am going to meet my daughter in the US, and I will be out for three months. As one generally gets 10-15 days of leave and I will be out for a longer duration, I said, 'Take my resignation,'" she said.
Bhatia insisted she will not apologise for her remarks.
"I said nothing wrong," she asserted.
On Monday, the nursing staff at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra observed a two-hour pen-down strike to protest against Bhatia.
A protesting nurse said, "Whatever happened was very unfortunate, but Bhatia blamed the nursing staff for negligence and accused some nursing staff of possible collusion in the case."
The nurses argued that it was unfair to blame them without an investigation.
On Tuesday too, nursing organisations demanded strict action against Bhatia.
The All India Government Nurses Federation wrote to Saini seeking her immediate removal and an FIR against her.
Nursing Officers Welfare Association president Anita Bangar said that the outfit lodges a strong protest against the remarks.
Earlier, the Haryana State Commission for Women took suo motu cognisance of the alleged sexual assault and sought an action taken report.
After an FIR was registered, the Haryana government terminated the accused doctor with immediate effect.
According to the Kurukshetra police, on May 31, a local filed a complaint alleging that on May 29, he and his daughter visited the LNJP Hospital where her daughter was sexually assaulted.
The complaint alleged that the accused doctor admitted both father and daughter into separate wards.
When the father visited his daughter's ward on May 31, she told him that the doctor sexually assaulted her on May 29.
Acting on the complaint, a case was registered against the doctor under Sections 6 and 10 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
During the investigation, the minor's statement was recorded before a magistrate, and a medical examination was conducted.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.