Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal warns of "harsh steps", if docs fail to end strike

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today warned the striking government resident doctors of "harsh steps" after they decided to continue with their agitation even after the government accepted their all demands.

"We have agreed to all demands of docs. I personally intervened. Yet they are not calling off strike. Why? What else is left now? (sic).

"If they (doctors) still don't return, then in public interest, we will be left with no option but to take harsh steps," Kejriwal wrote in a series of tweets on Twitter today.

Government doctors launched an indefinite strike yesterday demanding adequate stocks of life-saving drugs, security at the workplace and timely payment of salaries, etc.

Delhi government said it had accepted their all demands but, the doctors continued with the strike demanding concrete measures as they claimed that the "government has in the past given similar assurances but failed to deliver".

Making an appeal to striking doctors to return to work, Kejriwal wrote, "Patients are suffering. I appeal to doctors to return to duty. I am their biggest well wisher. If they have more demands, we will agree to them also."

Kejriwal said government was forced to impose the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to end the strike.

"Causing inconvenience to public is wrong. We have been forced to invoke ESMA," he wrote.