A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Tamil Nadu was pursued and apprehended like a criminal after questioning a Muslim doctor on government duty for wearing a burqa instead of a white coat and ID card, which is the uniform of doctors in Tamil Nadu’s government hospitals.
The woman doctor, employed at a government hospital, responded impolitely by asserting her right to wear the hijab and claiming that her uniform is a burqa rather than a white coat. According to reports, she failed to provide initial medical assistance to a patient brought by a BJP functionary.
On May 24, Bhuvanesh Ram, a member of the BJP’s Nagapattinam unit, visited the Thirupoondi government hospital with his relative, Subramaniam, who was experiencing chest pain. Janneth Firdhouse, the doctor on duty, allegedly advised him to take the patient to Nagapattinam General Hospital.
Media reports state that Bhuvanesh promptly began questioning the doctor about her attire, specifically why she was not wearing a uniform or displaying the ID card and instead wearing a burqa. He repeatedly inquired about the presence of Dr. Aravind, a senior doctor. As no one provided a response, he proceeded to record a video of the nurse and the attending doctor. Importantly, the video filmed by Bhuvanesh does not show him making any request for the doctor to remove her hijab.
BJP functionary arrested for questioning Muslim doctor in burqa for not wearing uniform/id in TN. It is alleged that she didn't give first aid to a patient brought by him and suggested to move elsewhere which is why he questioned her authority pic.twitter.com/Ujoe3nKZPp
— HinduPost (@hindupost) May 27, 2023
He simply questioned how he could trust that she was a doctor when she was not dressed in a uniform or wearing an identification card. In response, the doctor also recorded a video claiming that he used inappropriate language and filmed her without consent. However, even in the doctor’s video, there is no evidence of abusive language being used. It remains uncertain whether any events occurred before or after the videos were recorded. Based on the information available on social media and other platforms, it appears that Bhuvanesh merely raised concerns about her conduct as a government doctor.
An office bearer of a certain party(u know which), threatening a Muslim lady doctor on Night Duty, at Thirupoondi hospital, Nagapattinam district, for wearing a Hijab while on duty, last night. Tamilnadu is a secular state with a secular, just govt. Strict action should be taken. pic.twitter.com/CJPguqr3OZ
— Dr Jaison Philip. M.S., MCh (@Jasonphilip8) May 26, 2023
However, the media portrayed the incident as a BJP functionary harassing a Muslim woman to remove her hijab, despite conflicting accounts. On the other hand, some reports claim that the doctor in the burqa did not treat the patient and simply advised the BJP functionary to take the patient to Nagapattinam General Hospital without conducting an examination. According to Facebook posts detailing the sequence of events, only a nurse and an assistant were present at the hospital when the patient arrived. Allegedly, the patient received first aid after a delay of approximately 20 minutes.
Upon Bhuvanesh’s inquiry about the whereabouts of the senior doctor, the nurse informed him that the doctor had instructed them to provide first aid and would arrive shortly. Reports indicate that Dr. Jenneth Firdouse arrived 40 minutes late, dressed in a burqa and hijab and lacking a doctor’s coat and identification card. She allegedly did not approach the patient closely, instead observing him from a distance of about 4 feet. She then recommended that the patient be transferred to another hospital for further treatment.
Bhuvanesh inquired about the woman’s name because he was curious about her identity based on her appearance and clothing. In response, the woman acted arrogantly and made a phone call, prompting members of a Muslim organization to gather at the hospital. BJP members allege that she made a statement along the lines of, “Hijab is my lifeline. A government job is M*yir (a cuss word in Tamil). I can quit this job right away. My religion holds the utmost importance for me.”
Reportedly, Bhuvanesh immediately informed the chief doctor about the incident, lodged a complaint at the local police station, and proceeded to take the patient to the general hospital. Unfortunately, the patient passed away the following morning, allegedly due to negligence and delayed first aid. Additionally, the doctor filed a complaint against Bhuvanesh, leading to his being booked under various sections, including 294 B (using obscene words in a public space), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from the discharge of their duty), 298 (uttering words with the deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), and the IT Act. As a result, a special team was formed to apprehend Bhuvanesh, and he was recently arrested.
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian provided assurance that appropriate action would be taken if the doctor is found to have breached the rules of conduct. However, social media platforms are inundated with abusive messages targeting Bhuvanesh, the BJP, and Hindus in general. Accusations suggesting that Bhuvanesh asked the doctor to remove her hijab are widespread, despite the absence of any evidence supporting such claims. On the contrary, the doctor’s behavior appears discourteous instead of addressing the concerns of an ordinary individual.
(With inputs from Hindu Post)
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