Two doctors of Aligarh Muslim University's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College were terminated from duty on October 20. If sources are to be believed, the doctors were terminated because they spoke to the media 'unofficially' about the Dalit girl who was gangraped and murdered in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras in September.

Their termination letter says that the action was taken upon the instruction of the university's Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor. "You are requested not to perform any further duties," reads the termination letters of Dr Mohammad Azimuddin Malik and Dr Obaid Imtiyazul Haque. The Hathras case victim was initially treated in JNMC, after which she was shifted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital.

Condemning the termination, the medical college's Resident Doctors' Association has now written to the Vice-Chancellor, asking him to revoke the action. "RDA is determined to protect the rights of doctors and therefore, we demand the university authorities to immediately withdraw the order. If their suspension is not revoked within 24 hours, RDA will convene a GBM and will utilise its democratic rights to safeguard the interest of the doctors' fraternity," reads their letter. The letter also alleges that the decision was "influenced by vendetta politics aimed to suppress independent voices."

"Both the doctors performed their duties in times of crisis. The letter mentions no reason for this action. However, these doctors spoke to the media and questioned the FSL report. This, we believe is the reason behind the termination," says Dr Hamza Malik, President, RDA. "If the Vice-Chancellor doesn't revoke the termination, we may go ahead with a strike," he adds.