MPCC today demanded Finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Medical Education minister Vinod Tawde be sacked following Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court's strong observation against state government on the issue of sexual harassment of a resident doctor at Government medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur.
Addressing a press conference, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) spokesperson Sachin Sawant said by transferring Abhimanyu Niswade, Dean of GMCH (Nagpur), he was penalised because he took action into the sexual harassment allegations against Makrand Vyawahare, brother-in-law of Mungantiwar.
Former vice dean GMCH, Vyawahare, faced allegation of threatening a first year postgraduate student of forensic department, who allegedly tried to commit suicide on November 17. Later, a female student levelled allegation of sexual harassment against Vyawahare, following which he was dismissed from the vice dean's post.
As per the PIL filed in the case, an inhouse committee set up by Niswade found allegations against Vyawahare, true.
However, Charudutt Shinde, OSD (Officer on Special Duty) of Tawde asked Niswade to disband the committee.
Sawant said the Court has said ministers and senior officers in government are expected to use powers for public good. They cannot be permitted to exercises powers to take revenge against someone, since he has not obliged them in hushing up the matter against one of their nearer and dearer one.
The court also said that if the allegations in the PIL are proved true, it will depict a sorry picture as to how, at the instance of ministers, efficient officers of the institution are made scapegoat and penalised only to protect relative of one of ministers, he said.
A division bench, comprising Justice Bhushan Gavai and Justice Pradeep Deshmukh on December 1, stayed the transfer of Niswade and asked him to resume duty with immediate effect.
The HC also stayed the transfer of secretary, Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) from GMCH, Dr Sameer Golawar.
The PIL was filed by a social worker Trisharan Sahare through senior counsel Sunil Manohar and Akshay Naik.
While passing strictures against the senior Cabinet ministers, the Judges remarked that Niswade's shunting was done with "malafide intention" by the authorities.
