Police cane-charge protesting doctors in Kashmir, many hurt

Srinagar, June 25 (UNI) Several unemployed Indian System of Medicine (ISM) doctors were critically wounded here today when police used batons to disperse the protesting medicos.

The doctors, on protest here for several days now, are demanding government jobs as promised to them by the state administration.

Accusing the Jammu and Kashmir government of reneging on its promise to provide them with jobs by April this year, the medicos have threatened to take extreme step if their demands were not accepted soon.

Carrying placards and banners, the protestors gathered at the Press Enclave here this afternoon to press for their demand.

As the traffic was suspended during the protests, policemen tried to persuade the doctors to disperse.

However, when the protesters refused, police baton-charged them.

Several medicos, shouting slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir government, were wounded, some of them critically, in police action.

''Delay is Death... Resuscitate our Community... Hon'ble CM Keep Your Promise'' read some of the banners and placards.

The protestors said there were around 1100 unemployed ISM doctors in the state. While about 100 of them already crossed the upper age limit, another 100 were on the verge of crossing the limit.

The doctors threatened to intensify the struggle if the state government failed to redress their grievances soon.

The protestors said they have been running from pillar to post for the past seven years for being absorbed in the department.

UNI