Moving around in teams, they gathered at major junctions in the city including Mithakhali Cross Road (chowk), Shivranjani Cross Road, Vijay Cross Road and Stadium Cross Road and wiped vehicle windows with dusters.
They also distributed pamphlets that read, "shameless vote-gathering tactics of Congress-led UPA government in the name of reservation will divide the country along caste lines".
However, medical services in Ahmedabad have not been affected as resident doctors stayed away from the agitation. A medical student said only students and interns have joined the strike that was started on saturday. "Resident doctors have only extended support to us" he added.
Meanwhile, students and interns have threatened to continue the agitation till the centre clears its stand on the issue.
Stike enters Day 3 in Orissa
The indefinite strike by medicos, in three government-run medical college hospitals in Orissa against 27% reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, entered the third day today.
While students boycotted an examination slated for today, house surgeons and junior doctors also continued their support to the agitation, forcing authorities to bank upon professors, assistant professors and faculty members in colleges to keep services going.
Virtually no surgeries have been conducted in the hospitals for the last three days.
The functioning of the outpatient department (OPD) in the three hospitals have been hit even as agitating medicos at the SCB Medical College Hospital opened a temporary OPD in the campus where they treated patients.
Hospital authorities in the three medical colleges, however, maintained that health care services in both institutions were yet to be affected as professors and faculty members were treating the patients.
Police Officer suspended in Mumbai
Orders relating to the supension of S Sankhe, senior police inspector of the Malabar Hill police station, have been issued today, Police Commissioner A N Roy said.
Normal and emergency services were affected in several hospitals in the city as government and private doctors were observing a day-long strike.
Private hospitals have also announced closure of OPD services in support of the strike call given by the IMA, and hundreds of patients and their relatives were seen looking for help. However, authorities initiated steps to ensure that essential services were maintained.
At least 150 students of the five premier medical colleges of Delhi and some adjoining colleges, under the 'Youth for Equality' banner, continued their indefinite hunger strike at the premier healthcare institute AIIMs demanding immediate rollback of the controversial proposals and review
of the reservation policy.
Doctors from across the capital will hold a demonstration at Rajghat demanding rollback of the proposals and action against police who had baton-charged striking students in Mumbai on Saturday. Medical students would also be joining the protests.
"We demand a total roll back of the proposal to give 27% reservation to OBC and a review of the present reservation policy," said Amitasha Sinha, a representative of Lady Hardinge Medical College.
Medical students hit the streets
Dr Jayesh Vazirani of B J Medical College, who is leading the agitation, said the students have formed eight teams comprising 20 students each, and were protesting at all main crossroads of the city.
"The protest will continue till afternoon," Vazirani said adding that the agitating students would also conduct a signature campaign against reservation.
Medical students in the city are on indefinite strike from Saturday.
Medical college students boycott classes
"All the under-graduates have boycotted classes today in support of the IMA call," Bangalore Medical College students association general secretary Mohan Chandra said.
He said the next course of action against the proposed reservation would be decided in two days.
Medical and engineering students and professionals under the banner of "Youth for Equality" had yesterday staged a protest against the reservation move and submitted a memorandum to Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi.
Medicos, docs to press for judicial probe into police action
The Mumbai chapter of IMA will assemble at 12.30 pm to show solidarity and protest against "police excesses" on students who were peacefully agitating against the proposed reservation for OBCs.
IMA yesterday demanded judicial probe within 48 hours, and said it would approach the National Human Rights Commission on the issue of police excesses on medicos.
"The government should order a judicial probe within 48 hours. We will be approaching the NHRC also," Dr Sunita Kshirsagar, president of Mumbai Chapter of IMA, said.
Acknowledging that excessive force was used by the police against the striking medicos, the Maharashtra government has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Mumbai Police Commissioner A N Roy was asked by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh yesterday to conduct the probe and submit a report within a week.