Medicos lay siege in main roudabout for three hours

Patna, May 16 (UNI) Students of different medical colleges in Bihar today laid siege to the main roundabout ''Dakbunglow Chouraha'' by forming human chain against reservation in medical colleges for nearly three hours throwing normal traffic out of gear in the capital city.

Braving a scorching sun and humid weather conditions, the medicos of Patna Medical College and Hospital, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital and others under the banner of Bihar chapter of Youth For Equality, however, lifted the blockade but not before their demand for an appointment with the state chief secretary was met.

They also raised slogans against the Union Human Resources Minister Arjun Singh and tore party flags.

Later, the medicos were taken into custody and pushed into waiting buses.

Senior Police Superintendent Kundan Krishnan said the medicos had been booked under section 151 of Criminal Procedure Code (taking law into own hand). He said medicos would be released after their names were entered into diaries of different police stations.

Unlike their counterparts in Delhi and Mumbai, who suffered police lathi blows and faced water cannons, the states medical students did not have such a horrid time.

Chandan Jha of Patna Medical College and Hospoital said a delegation of the medical students would submit a memorandum to the state chief secretarty during the day, demanding immediate rollback of proposed resevation in medical colleges, constitution of a judicial commssion to inquire into the effects which had on those sections of the society which had already been enjoying reservation facilities and maintenanace of quality in PG medical education courses.

They also demanded action against those police officers, who allegedly indulged in high handedness against agitating medical students of Delhi, Mumbai, Banglore and other places.

UNI DH TJP RN 1542