BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday welcomed Central Government’s move to issue Ordinance to provide protection to doctors and health workers and thanked Indian Medical Association (IMA) for ending their proposed stir protecting attacks on the doctors carrying out cure and care services for Coronavirus affected people in the country.
The Central Government has brought an ordinance to end violence against health workers by amending the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which will allow imprisonment from 6 months to 7 years for those found guilty.
BJP president said the country is one with the “Corona warriors” who are staking their lives to serve the citizens. Nadda said under the ordinance the offender would not get bail and the investigation would be wrapped up within 30 days. “ This will definitely boost the moral of doctors and health workers”, said BJP President.
He welcomed the decision of IMA to withdraw their protest after consultations with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Nadda said his Government would ensure that there is no violence against the health workers the country and that this ordinance reflection Modi-government’s determination to protect health workers.
Nadda held a meeting of state presidents and state general secretaries of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh via videoconferencing and reviewed the work carried out by the party workers in the coronavirus affected regions. General Secretary (organisation) B L Santosh was present during the meeting.
Earlier, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said the government would act "tough" against those who would attack doctors and frontline health workers.
He said the crimes against health workers had been made a "non-bailable offense" via the ordinance. Under the new law, investigation in such cases will be completed in a time-bound manner. "Such crime will now be cognisable and non-bailable. Investigation will be done in 30 days. Accused can be sentenced from 3 months-5 years and penalised from Rs 50,000 up to Rs 2 lakh," Javadekar said.