Bhopal, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday ordered an inquiry into the alleged use of lathis and water cannons against intern doctors protesting over their stipend in Bhopal.
The action came amid a widening protest by intern doctors across the state, with routine outpatient department (OPD) services remaining shut at government hospitals, while emergency services continued to function.
Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla confirmed that the doctors had sought an impartial inquiry into Monday’s police action and said he had taken up the matter with Bhopal Police Commissioner Sanjay Kumar.
“The doctors wanted a fair investigation and punishment for those responsible. I spoke with the Police Commissioner, and orders have been issued for an inquiry. The Deputy Commissioner of Police will conduct the inquiry and the report will be presented before the Chief Minister (Mohan Yadav) returns,” Shukla said.
He added that action would be taken against anyone found to have mistreated the protesting doctors.
On the stipend issue, Shukla said talks between representatives of intern doctors and the administration were underway to resolve the matter.
The police action occurred on Monday when the protesting interns marched towards Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s residence demanding an increase in their stipend. The doctors alleged that police used lathis and water cannons to stop them.
In Bhopal, the interns continued their sit-in at Kamala Park through the night. Security was tightened around the Chief Minister’s residence, while roads leading towards it were barricaded.
The protest also affected services at Hamidia Hospital, where routine OPDs remained closed on Tuesday. Patients and attendants were seen waiting at the hospital, with several reporting difficulties in obtaining consultations and undergoing examinations.
The Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) has extended support to the interns over the alleged police action. The protesting doctors are demanding an immediate increase in their stipend as well as action against officials responsible for the alleged use of force.
Gandhi Medical College Dean Kavita Singh, who met the protesting interns, also questioned the use of water cannons.
“The use of water cannon was wrong. I also did not like it,” she said.
Singh said she had gone to the protest site to take the interns to a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla. However, the interns refused to leave and instead demanded that Shukla come to the spot and hear their grievances.
The government’s inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances surrounding Monday’s police action as efforts continue to resolve the stipend dispute through talks.
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