Key Points

Former Minister and senior Congress MLA from Jabalpur East, Lakhan Ghanghoria, raised doubts on use of fake certificate for appointment to senior position and demanded an independent inquiry into the matter.

"Officials at Victoria Hospital in Jabalpur hold fake certificates, and the Congress has raised the issue repeatedly through different channels, but no action has been taken," Ghanghoria, who was the Schedule Caste Welfare Department Minister in former Chief Minister Kamal Nath-led Congress government between 2018 and 2020, said.

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla, who is also the Madhya Pradesh Health and Medical Education Minister, responded to the allegations, saying that the issue was examined after it was brought to notice.

"No irregularities have occurred in any appointment. All the processes in the Madhya Pradesh government are transparent in nature," Shukla told the House.

However, Ghanghoria expressed his disappointment over the response received from the Deputy CM Shukla, alleging that deserving candidates were sidelined in favour of non-eligible candidates.

Other Congress MLAs also joined Ghanghoria and they walked out from the House.

Ghanghoria, who was accompanied with the Leader of Opposition (LoP) Umang Singhar, and senior leader Ajay Singh and several others, held a protest outside the House, accusing the state government of indulging into corruption.

The Victoria Hospital in Jabalpur, now known as Seth Govind Das District Hospital, was established during the British rule in 1876.

Initially, it served as the city's first hospital and was named after Queen Victoria.

The hospital complex was built with separate sections for British and Indian patients, with the "red building" reserved for British individuals and two white buildings for Indian patients.

It later became a district hospital and was renamed after Seth Govind Das, a prominent figure in Jabalpur district.

This prestigious hospital has faced the accusation for appointments using fake certificates for the last few years.

Earlier, in April this year, Jabalpur police had booked a doctor, who was allegedly appointed through a fake degree.

Shubham Awasthi, who was transferred from Damoh district hospital to cardiology department in Victoria hospital, was found serving a fake degree.

Subsequently, an FIR was registered at a police station into the matter.

- IANS