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Nurses stage protest in Haryana over Women’s Commission Chief’s remarks amid Kurukshetra assault case
Babushahi Bureau
Kurukshetra (Haryana), June 9, 2026: A fresh controversy has erupted in Haryana after remarks made by Haryana State Women’s Commission Chairperson Renu Bhatia during her visit to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Civil Hospital in Kurukshetra sparked strong opposition from the nursing staff.
The protest comes in the wake of a shocking case involving the alleged sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl at the hospital. A 62-year-old consultant doctor, identified as Shailender Shaili, has been arrested and booked under the POCSO Act in connection with the incident.
Following the case, Bhatia visited the hospital to review the situation and reportedly expressed concern over lapses that may have contributed to the incident. However, nursing staff alleged that her comments unfairly blamed nurses for negligence and hinted at possible collusion by some staff members.
In protest, nurses at the hospital observed a two-hour pen-down strike on Monday. The agitation also received support from nursing associations, which demanded an apology and called for accountability over the remarks made against the nursing fraternity.
Protesting nurses maintained that they were performing their assigned duties and were not present during the alleged incident. They stated that nurses are routinely called by doctors when female patients are being examined and that no such request was made by the accused doctor on the day of the incident.
The nursing staff argued that holding them responsible without evidence was unjust and had damaged their professional reputation. They further stressed that the alleged crime was an individual act and should not be used to cast aspersions on the entire nursing workforce.