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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 5:18:41 pm

Shinde, Chavan under fire over silence

Dombivli: The brutal assault on two doctors, alleged intimidation of nurses, and chaos inside Shastrinagar Hospital by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and his associates has sparked outrage across Maharashtra's medical fraternity. While a court has remanded the corporator and three others to police custody till July 13, the silence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP Maharashtra President and Dombivli MLA Ravindra Chavan has become a major point of concern among healthcare...

Shinde, Chavan under fire over silence

Dombivli: The brutal assault on two doctors, alleged intimidation of nurses, and chaos inside Shastrinagar Hospital by Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and his associates has sparked outrage across Maharashtra's medical fraternity. While a court has remanded the corporator and three others to police custody till July 13, the silence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and BJP Maharashtra President and Dombivli MLA Ravindra Chavan has become a major point of concern among healthcare workers, who say they expected their elected representatives to publicly stand by the medical staff after such a serious incident. Healthcare employees have questioned the silence of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who has often publicly stated that women in the state are his "beloved sisters" and that injustice against them would not be tolerated. With allegations that a woman doctor was pushed and nurses were threatened during the incident, many in the health department say they expected a clear public response from him. Similarly, BJP Maharashtra President and Dombivli MLA Ravindra Chavan, known for regularly attending social, religious and public events in his constituency and responding to local issues, has neither visited Shastrinagar Hospital nor met the doctors, nurses and hospital staff following the attack. The absence of any public outreach has led to disappointment among healthcare workers. No Stand Medical staff said they had expected both leaders, who are known for raising public issues and supporting citizens, to stand firmly behind doctors and healthcare employees during such a critical situation. Instead, they say the lack of a strong public stand has left many employees feeling mentally distressed. Healthcare workers also pointed out that Ravindra Chavan had played a significant role in strengthening Shastrinagar Hospital by facilitating the availability of various medical facilities and taking initiatives for the recruitment of 90 medical staff in municipal hospitals. They believe that, following the attack on doctors at the same hospital, he should have visited the institution and offered support to the affected staff. His absence has reportedly drawn criticism not only from government healthcare workers but also from private medical practitioners. According to the allegations, doctors at Shastrinagar Hospital had decided to refer a pregnant woman to another hospital for further treatment. Following this, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) corporator Ramesh Mhatre allegedly arrived at the hospital along with his supporters, questioning why his phone call had not been answered. He and his associates allegedly abused the doctors and assaulted Dr. Vaibhav Salunkhe and Dr. Srushti Baviskar. It is further alleged that the woman doctor was pushed, while two nurses were threatened. The entire incident was captured on the hospital's CCTV cameras, triggering widespread reactions across the state. Police have arrested corporator Ramesh Mhatre along with Ramesh Laxman Pawar (50), Prakash alias Prakash Uddhav Nikam (35), and Akshay Sharad Karande (30) in connection with the case.

US Vice President JD Vance, his family arrive in Delhi

  • PTI
  • Apr 21, 2025
  • 2 min read


NEW DELHI: US Vice President J D Vance arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two strategic partners to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance is accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek, Mirabel and a delegation of senior US government officials.


The US Vice President and the Second Lady were received at the Palam air base by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.


The American leader was also accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival.

In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding wide-ranging talks with the US Vice President.


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian ambassador to US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by PM Modi at the talks.


The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries.


Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.


New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US Vice President and his family are staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.


On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur, including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site.


In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.


Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.


The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said.


In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.


After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23.


The US Vice President and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

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