On 13th November, DMK Health Minister Ma Subramanian sparked controversy by wrongly identifying a man from Tamil Nadu who assaulted a doctor at Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) in Guindy, Chennai, as a “North Indian.” As per reports, a senior oncologist was stabbed in the neck by a patient’s family member on 13th November.
Dr Balaji Jagannathan, a senior oncologist at Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) in Guindy, Chennai, was critically injured when a patient’s relative stabbed him in the neck. The doctor is currently fighting for his life in the ICU of the same hospital. One person has been arrested. The accused is said to be the son of a patient who was upset about his parent’s treatment.
Caught On Cam: Attacker casually walks with a knife after stabbing a doctor in Chennai #ITVideo #Chennai #TamilNadu | @PramodMadhav6 @nabilajamal_ pic.twitter.com/ywneMNPv0D
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) November 13, 2024
The doctor was reportedly stabbed over seven times. Dr Jagannathan, who is himself a heart patient, suffered critical wounds on his head and chest. The accused, Vignesh, had a heated argument with the doctor over the treatment of his mother, who is a cancer patient. Vignesh and four others were detained by the police, and the weapon used to stab the doctor was seized.
When Subramanian was asked about the attack on the doctor during a press conference, he identified the accused as a “North Indian.” He said, “They told me just now. Around four North Indians came to the hospital for treatment and attacked the doctor after locking him up in a room. Police have arrested two people; the police department will take immediate action and arrest the rest of them and take appropriate legal action.”
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His statement sparked controversy as Vignesh hails from Tamil Nadu. Later, the minister clarified that he was misinformed, claiming that the hospital director told him that North Indians were involved in the attack on the doctor, as per a report in The Commune Magazine. After he visited the hospital and took stock of the incident, he clarified that the attacker was not North Indian, claiming that he was given the wrong information.
He said, “His mother was receiving treatment here; he is quite familiar with the place, and people have seen him here before. At this time, he attacked the doctor in the room under the pretext of meeting him. I was in Pallikaranai overseeing something and was informed by the director that North Indians were involved in the attack. But it is incorrect; it is not North Indians. The accused is from Tamil Nadu, from Perungalathur, and his name is Vigneshwaran. Police have taken him into custody and will conduct further investigations. He believed the wrong chemotherapy treatment was given to his mother as her lungs were affected. This hospital is highly reputed for cancer therapy, and the doctor in question is well-regarded in the industry.”
This is not the first time Ma Subramanian has accused people from North India of a criminal act in Tamil Nadu. In 2022, he claimed that students from North India were spreading Covid in the state.
Tamil Nadu | North Indian students are spreading Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu. Students from Kelambakkam VIT College and Sathyasai college have got affected by Covid in hostels and classes. In some North Indian states, Covid cases are still increasing: State Health Min Ma Subramanian pic.twitter.com/ekATYHgMaM
— ANI (@ANI) June 1, 2022
In June 2022, He claimed, “North Indian students are spreading Covid-19 in Tamil Nadu. Students from Kelambakkam VIT College and Sathyasai college have got affected by Covid in hostels and classes. In some North Indian states, Covid cases are still increasing.”
Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital administration said that Dr Balaji Jagannathan is a heart patient and underwent surgery recently. He has been treated at the ICU after the stabbing incident and his condition is stable now.
