Medical students of five colleges start indefinite strike
New Delhi, Apr 27: Scores of students and interns of five medical colleges here went on an indefinite strike today in protest against the proposed move to provide 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in Central Government educational institutions.
Resident doctors of the five colleges also extended support to the agitating students and decided to stay away from the OPD, affecting services.
Students of Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge Medical College, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University College of Medical Sciences and Vardhaman Mahavir Medical College are boycotting lectures and staying away from OPD services.
The agitating students and interns are demonstrating at India Gate here since morning.
Some students have also decided to boycott the ongoing exams of the second and fourth semester in protest against the move.
Reports of medical students' agitation are also pouring in from other cities.
Yesterday, hundreds of students of the medical colleges clashed with the police after it prevented them from 'petitioning' Union Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh against the reservation policy and road blockade.
The students, were tear-gassed and sprayed with water cannons when they blocked traffic on Janpath, near Hotel Le Meridian crossing.
Mild lathicharge was also resorted to in order to break the 'rasta roko', which lasted for more than one-and-a-half hours.
However, no one was reported injured.
Three rounds of tear-gas shells were fired to disperse those who staged a 'rasta roko' to 'apprise' people on the issue.
Before dispersing, students told mediapersons that they wanted the people to know about the consequences of the reservation policy which was why they blocked traffic.
UNI