Join work or face Contempt of Court: SC to docs

New Delhi, May 30: While assuring agitating doctors that it will take care of the concerns of all the parties on the issue of reservation for OBCs in educational institutions, the Supreme Court today asked them to go back to work in larger public interest.

A vacation bench comprising Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta warned the medicos if they continue with their stir it would amount to contempt.

''There are two judgments of this court which say that if the court is seized of a matter delivering of speeches, holding demonstrations and resorting to strike could amount to contempt of court. And we can go to that extent,'' the court observed. At this stage we are not concerned with the government policy in this regard but with the people awaiting treatment at various hospitals. They cannot be denied treatment, the court observed.

The Supreme Court, yesterday, on a PIL issued notices to the Centre to state the basis for reservation and had appealed to the medicos to resume work.

The observations came when Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanyam mentioned the matter before the court praying to renew its appeal to the agitating medicos to end their two-week long strike in protest against government decision to provide 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in higher educational institutions, including private ones.

When Mr Subramanyam sought a clarification from the court that the government should be given liberty to open a dialogue with the anti-reservationists, the court clarified the government can take whatever steps it wanted in this regard.

The court said that yesterday they made an appeal hoping that good sense will prevail but today ''we are making it in writing.'' The court will hear the matter again tomorrow.

It has directed the Additional Solicitor General to file a memorandum detailing latest developments on the ongoing agitation by the medicos.

The government indicated that armed with today's fresh order it will make fresh efforts to persuade the striking medicos to resume work.

UNI

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