‘Say Jai Shri Ram, save ₹500’: Kolkata doctor’s offer triggers TMC fury, BJP link under fire

In poll-charged Bengal, even a visit to the doctor is no longer just about health; it may now come with a slogan.

A Kolkata-based cardiologist, Dr Prakash Kumar Hazra, has triggered a major controversy after offering a ₹500 discount on consultation fees to patients who chant “Jai Shri Ram” at his clinic. 

And the offer is not just on paper; three cardiac patients have already availed the benefit on Monday.

The unusual scheme, first announced on Sunday along with a QR code, has quickly gone viral and drawn sharp political reactions.

“I am inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. Jai Shri Ram is not a religious slogan. It is a political slogan,” Hazra said, making his stand crystal clear.

Calling it a voluntary initiative, he added, “It is absolutely correct that I made the post. I am only helping people.”

Hazra, a veteran cardiologist with nearly three decades of experience, also defended his right to express political views.

Drawing parallels with Bengal’s past, he said, “Bidhan Chandra Roy was both a legendary physician and a Congress chief minister. Some doctors say ‘Lal Salaam’. Why can’t I say ‘Jai Shri Ram’?”

The doctor, an alumnus of Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and currently associated with Manipal Hospital, insisted there was no discrimination in his practice.

“Out of around 40 patients I see daily, I treat half of them for free. If there was no discrimination, then why should this be discriminatory now?” he argued.

Hazra also highlighted his extensive medical experience, over 10,000 radial angiographies and more than 2,500 coronary angioplasties and pacemaker procedures, to underline his professional credibility amid the controversy.

However, the move has not gone down well with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has accused him of mixing healthcare with political messaging.

Party leaders have alleged that the offer is a calculated attempt to align with the BJP and gain favour.

What started as a clinic-level “discount scheme” has now spiralled into a statewide debate, raising uncomfortable questions about whether healthcare spaces should double up as platforms for political expression.

For now, the offer stands, patients are watching, and Bengal’s political battleground has found an unlikely new arena , the doctor’s chamber.