Medical officer quits after clash with BJP MLA
In Rajasthan, the resignation of a principal medical officer has sparked buzz after an alleged public clash with BJP MLA Radheshyam Bairwa. During a hospital inspection, Bairwa reportedly reprimanded PMO Dr Narendra Kumar Meghwal over poor sanitation and earlier chaos at OPD counters. Sources say repeated public scoldings left the PMO feeling humiliated. On April 9, he resigned, stating he took the job to serve people, not face insults. The incident has once again revived an uneasy pattern in the state, politicians versus the bureaucracy. Many are recalling the 2022 episode involving Girraj Singh Malinga, when a junior engineer was brutally assaulted.
‘Gomata’ row intensifies, seer sparks fresh buzz
Amid his ongoing face-off with Yogi Adityanath, Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has stirred fresh buzz during his recent Kota visit—this time over Gomata. Claiming he has received death threats for defending cow protection in Uttar Pradesh, the seer questioned why governments hesitate to officially recognise the cow as a “mother”. He argued that merely calling it an animal contradicts faith. With the ‘Gavishti Yatra’ set to begin from Gorakhpur, the pitch is only getting louder. The seer’s statement has intensified political tensions in Rajasthan, where demands to make the cow Rajya Mata (State Mother) have been gaining ground.
Ex-CM Gehlot targets delays in public works
Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s April 21 inauguration of the Pachpadra Refinery in Rajasthan, the politics is sharpening on it. Former CM Ashok Gehlot has turned up the heat on the BJP. Calling the project the biggest chapter of his ‘Intezar Shastra’ (science of delay) series, Gehlot alleged a 7-year delay under BJP. “I’m glad the PM is inaugurating it, but had our government continued, it would’ve been ready much earlier,” he said. He also flagged a cost escalation—from `37,000 crore to nearly `80,000 crore. Through ‘Intzar Shashtra’, his campaign on X, Gehlot is spotlighting “delayed” projects, accusing the BJP of slowing public works.
Rajesh Asnani
Our correspondent in Jaipur
rajesh.asnani@newindianexpress.com