Striking Medicos to hold ''Desh Bachao'' rally; meet Fernandes

New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) Stepping up the offensive against the Government after the first round of talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh failed to resolve the OBC quota impasse, the striking medicos will today hold a ''Desh Bachao'' rally where anti-reservation activists from across the country are expected.

Disappointed with the 14-day stalemate, representatives of striking doctors and students this morning held an informal meeting with Minister of State without Portfolio Oscar Fernandes.

They said the meeting also discussed the ''mess and miscommunication'' Union Health Secretary P C Hota had caused after the negotiations with the Prime Minister.

''We conveyed to Mr Fernandes our demand of a written assurance about setting up of a judicial review committee and increase in the number of seats from the Prime Minister. The mess Mr Hota created was also taken up in detail... We will not back down without anything concrete,'' Dr Safal Singh, Maulana Azad Medical College RDA member and Youth for Equality leader, said.

He said last night Mr Hota had gone back to the Prime Minister with their demand of ''written assurance'' and when he returned back he was carrying an unsigned sheet of paper.

''Mr Hota was carrying an unsigned sheet of paper which only stated the UPA-Coordination Committee addresses concerns of all categories of students.... the students need not worry about shrinking educational opportunities as a massive expansion in capacities of higher education system would be undertaken,'' Dr Safal Singh said.

''The Health Secretary brought the PMO press statement to us as the concrete assurance from the Prime Minister. This is outrageous...,'' he added.

Dr Singh said they wanted the Government to finalise its negotiator first and then resume talks with them.

''The Government must first decide who it wants to talk to us....That ways things will be more clear,'' he added.

The ''Dilli Aao Desh Bachao'' protest rally is scheduled to be held at the Ramlila Ground from 1630 hrs.

Before that the rally, the activists will march in protest from Veer Bhumi to the venue.

BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, Management Guru Shiv Khera, DMRC MD E Shreedharan and former CBI Director Joginder Singh are expected to address the rally.

''We are expecting activists from across the country at the rally here tomorrow and we are hopeful that the turnout will be very good. This agitation will not fizzle out,'' AIIMS RDA President and Youth for Equality leader Binod Patra told UNI.

He said the rally will be a show of strength and a message to the government that the agitation will not be withdrawn.

''We are severely disappointed with the way the government has ignored our demands...but that will not deter us we will go on,'' he added.

Criticising the Government, Dr Patra said on one hand it was holding negotiations with the medicos while on the other it took a unilateral decision on the proposal.

''They have back-stabbed us.... This is not how a democracy works,'' he added.

MORE UNI NR PA HS1459