A controversy has erupted at Government Medical College (GMC) Doda in Jammu and Kashmir after students protested over allegations that burqa-wearing interns were stopped from entering the labour room. The protest took place on September 30, with students demanding an inquiry into the incident.
Students Allege They Were Asked to Remove Burqa
The protesting students alleged that a female professor objected to their burqa and asked some interns to leave the labour room. One student claimed that the issue had occurred on more than one occasion and questioned why their religious attire was being singled out.
These are allegations and have not yet been established by an independent inquiry.
Doctor Says Issue Was About Uniform, Not Hijab
The professor identified in reports as Dr Madhu Chib, Head of the Gynaecology Department, has disputed the students’ interpretation. According to reports, she said her objection was not to hijab or burqa, but to following the required hospital uniform and protocol inside the labour room.
GMC Doda Forms Inquiry Committee
Following a written complaint, the medical college administration constituted an eight-member inquiry committee headed by Dr Garima Charak, Head of Physiology. The committee has been asked to conduct a fair inquiry and examine the circumstances surrounding the complaint.
Police and MLA Step In
A senior police officer also spoke with the protesting students and said the allegations and applicable medical protocols would first need to be examined. Doda MLA Mehraj Malik said he had raised the matter with J&K Health Minister Sakina Itoo.
The controversy now centres on whether the incident involved religious attire or standard clinical dress requirements. The inquiry committee's findings are expected to clarify what happened and whether any rules were violated.