JAIPUR: An independent MLA from Rajasthan has offered to resign from the legislative assembly in protest against the government's handling of doctors' strike which ended on Wednesday.
Rajkumar Sharma, the former MoS for Medical and Health, claimed that many patients died during two strikes of doctors in November and this month but no responsibility for the deaths was fixed.
He accused the government of handling the strike "very poorly".
I have decided to resign as the MLA, he said.
Sharma today went to the state Assembly to tender his resignation but the speaker was not available so he returned without submitting the resignation letter.
"The government failed to handle doctors strikes in an efficient manner in November and December. Several patients lost lives during the strike but no responsibility was fixed.
"The government failed to fulfil promises it made to doctors last month and instead transferred 12 doctors in an vindictive manner which forced the doctors to go on strike again in November," he said.
Sharma, who represents Nawalgarh constituency (Jhunjhunu), said he would meet the Speaker when he is available.
He asked the health minister to resign on "moral grounds".
Sharma had won the 2008-assembly election as a BSP candidate and supported the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government and became the MoS for Medical and Health.
He won the 2013-assembly election as an independent candidate.