Youth Congress activists creates scene in SCB

CUTTACK: The liquor tragedy might have handed a potent weapon to  the Opposition to corner the BJD Government on the eve of panchayat polls,  but the former seems to be taking things too far. In gross violation of guidelines and in sheer display of insensitivity to the hundreds of patients admitted to the SCB Medical, Youth Congress (YC) activists on Thursday barged into the Medicine Department, where the victims of the liquor tragedy are being treated. Showing scant respect to the plight and sufferings of the patients, they created a cacophony by shouting slogans against the Government and the Chief Minister. Led by Youth Congress Cuttack Barabati vice-president Debasish Ghosh about five or six activists forced their way in waving black bands as news of possible visit by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to the hospital in the evening came by. They raised loud noise disturbing the much needed peace in the wards before being evicted by the police.Any hospital or health institution is a designated silence zone with any kind of noise making strictly prohibited. But the SCB Medical, especially the medicine department, has turned into a political battlefield for the last two days following the inflow of affected people and victims of the liquor tragedy. The Congress and the BJP had no second thoughts before staging protest demonstrations against the Government on the campus even as leaders have rushed in to visit the victims and express their support.“Hundreds of people from political parties and organisations are trooping in every day to visit the victims. As a result, the peace on the campus has been shattered. With the noise and shouting, the sufferings of the patient have only mounted. These activities should not be allowed in the vicinity of a hospital,” said an attendant of a patient.A section of the YC led by Cuttack Parliamentary Constituency unit president Santosh Bhol also staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC) demanding action against the Excise and police officials for their inaction in curbing bootlegging in the district. Activists led by Bhol also staged a demonstration outside the gates of the SCB Medical in the evening.