BJP leaders protest closure of Jan Aushadhi centres in Karnataka hospitals, detained

Bengaluru, May 30 (IANS) The BJP on Friday staged a protest in front of a Jan Aushadhi store located on the premises of K. C. General Hospital in Bengaluru to protest the Congress government's decision to shut down Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi (generic medicine) centres in the state-run medical facilities.

The BJP leaders demanded that the government withdraw its decision.

The police have detained the BJP leaders for staging the protest on the premises of the hospital and taken them to an undisclosed location in a bus.

The leaders displayed posters claiming that the agitation would not stop until the Jan Aushadhi centres are again opened in the government hospitals.

The posters further slammed the Congress-led government for the closure of Jan Aushadhi centres, which are a boon for the poor.

The posters also claimed that the Siddaramaiah government is pursuing hatred towards schemes and projects launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During the protest, former Deputy Chief Minister and MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan, Bengaluru South District President and MLA C.K. Ramamurthy, Bengaluru North District President S. Harish, Bengaluru South District President Saptagiri Gowda, BJP State Media Co-Convener Prashanth Kedenji, other party leaders, women activists, and party workers were detained by the police.

"It is utterly ridiculous for the bankrupt Congress government, which has even increased the fee for tokens issued to patients in government hospitals, to claim that it is distributing medicines for free," stated Ashwath Narayan.

"Honourable CM Siddaramaiah, withdraw the decision to shut down Jan Aushadhi centres, which serve as a lifeline for the poor, and do not surrender to the medicine mafia. Otherwise, statewide protests are inevitable. The Congress is making a foolish argument that Jan Aushadhi centres are being closed because medicines are being distributed for free in government hospitals," he slammed.

"At present, most government hospitals in Karnataka don't even have doctors. In such a situation, what guarantee is there that people will get the medicines they need? That's why the public has been turning to Jan Aushadhi centres to buy affordable medicines. A common citizen was saving up to 70 per cent on their monthly medicine expenses," Ashwath Narayan said.

"But this corrupt and bankrupt Congress-led Karnataka government, succumbing to the pressure of the medicine mafia that suffered losses due to Jan Aushadhi, is now moving to shut these centres down. Realising that people in India spend thousands of rupees each month on medicines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi established Jan Aushadhi centres so that people could get essential medicines at the lowest possible prices," he said.

"Compared to all other pharmacies, Jan Aushadhi centres offered medicines at the lowest prices - for instance, a medicine that costs Rs 100 elsewhere was available for just Rs 30 at Jan Aushadhi centres. Congress can never tolerate anything that benefits or uplifts the poor. Deep down, Congress fears that if the poor become financially strong, it will lose its grip on the slogan of 'Garibi Hatao' (Eradicate Poverty)," Ashwath Narayan stated.

Meanwhile, the BJP Karnataka Unit has released a poster condemning the Congress-led government's move.

The BJP's poster depicts a caricature of CM Siddaramaiah, and says, "The corrupt and unscrupulous are locking up Jan Aushadhi – a lifeline for the poor - to serve the interests of the medicine mafia."

The Karnataka government has defended its move to shut down Jan Aushadhi centres at the government hospital premises. It maintained that free medicines are provided at the hospital for the patients, and Jan Aushadhi centres are not required.

--IANS

mka/svn