Free langar service disrupted in IGMC Shimla, Congress warns of severe agitation

The langar dispute issue in Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital (IGMC) is gaining momentum. IGMC's MS, Dr Janak Raj, has demanded a magisterial inquiry. However, various organisations of Congress protested outside the IGMC hospital and raised slogans against the administration. Congress has warned that if the government does not allow Sarabjit Singh Bobby to continue the langar service, the party will launch a violent agitation.

Shimla: The langar dispute issue in Indira Gandhi Medical College & Hospital (IGMC) is gaining momentum. IGMC's MS, Dr Janak Raj, has demanded a magisterial inquiry. However, various organisations of Congress protested outside the IGMC hospital and raised slogans against the administration. Congress has warned that if the government does not allow Sarabjit Singh Bobby to continue the langar service, the party will launch a violent agitation.

What is the issue:

Sardar Sarabjit Singh Bobby, popularly known as Bela Bobby, runs a free langar kitchen within the premises of IGMC hospital. The free langar service offers food to cancer patients and their family members. Several VVIPs including the former CM Virbhadra Singh and former Governor Acharya Devvrat also joined the langar and served food to the patients.

However, the IGMC Hospital administration has claimed that the rules like tender, permissions, and electricity connection are being flouted by the organisation. In January, the IGMC administration asked the institution to come through the tender process, but the organisation did not participate in the tender. The administration asked the organisation to vacate the place. Sarabjit Singh Bobby said in a press conference that he would vacate this place on 31 March 2021 and hand over the key to MS, IGMC. Finally, IGMC MS Dr Janak Raj gave a deadline of 4 September to vacate the place.

The administration called the police, which disrupted the langar, threw away the utensils and equipment. The police also manhandled the workers of the langar. This move by the Shimla Police and IGMC Hospital administration is being severely criticised on social media. Congress has now come in support of Sarabjit Singh Bobby and wants the free langar service to continue.

Sarabjit Singh is also suffering from a Kidney related problem and is currently undergoing treatment in Chandigarh. He started the free langar service in October 2014 by serving tea and biscuits at the Regional Cancer Center near IGMC Hospital. Gradually, his free langar started offering soup and porridge and later, it started serving full meals, comprising of rice, rotis, dal and khichdi.

According to IGMC MS, Dr Janak Raj, the property of the hospital is illegally occupied, so it is being vacated. He further added that the langar is not shut and patients are getting food. He added there is a tender process to regularise and Sarabjit Singh must file a tender.