This incident highlights a severe confrontation between medical ethics, religious freedom, and press freedom in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh.
A Muslim woman, Shama Parveen, who was in active labor, alleged that a doctor at the district women’s hospital refused to treat her on religious grounds, explicitly stating: “I will not treat a Muslim woman. I will not conduct your delivery.” This highly inflammatory accusation was caught on video, which then went viral, sparking massive political and social outrage.
Hospital authorities, including the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS), have publicly denied the doctor made the alleged remarks and launched an internal inquiry.
The controversy was further amplified when the police filed an FIR against two local journalists, Mayank Srivastava and Mohammad Usman, who were responsible for circulating the video. The official complaint, filed by the CMS, accuses the journalists of forcibly entering the labor room, filming, and causing damage to hospital property.
The core issue has shifted from investigating alleged discrimination to targeting the messengers. Opposition parties argue that booking the journalists is a clear attempt to suppress the truth and avoid accountability for a serious violation of medical and constitutional ethics.
Why did authorities prioritize booking journalists for circulating a video over a swift, transparent investigation into the severe allegations of religious discrimination by a public doctor?
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