UP Legislative Council Polls: SP Fields Dr Kafeel From Deoria-Kushinagar Seat

The Samajwadi Party has fielded for the elections to the upper house of the UP legislature Dr Kafeel Khan, a paediatrician whose services were terminated after several children died allegedly due to an oxygen crisis at a Gorakhpur hospital. He has been fielded from the Deoria-Kushinagar seat for the Legislative Council elections. Earlier, he was also booked under the stringent National Security Act for a speech against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "I was a doctor then became an activist then a history-sheeter in police list and after that I became a writer and wrote a book about BRD Medical College oxygen case, in which 63 children died and now I have become a leader," Dr Kafeel said during a press conference. "During the oxygen case in BRD Medical College, Yogiji said that I am trying to become a hero as I managed to bring oxygen cylinders at the time of the crisis and if I win the MLC elections and I meet him, I will say that instead of an 'abhineta' (actor), I have became a 'neta' (leader)," he said. 

Stating that he is fighting for issues of health, education and employment, Dr Kafeel said his dream is to set up a hospital where services are on a par with any corporate hospital. "I met SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and presented my book and shared my dream of setting up a hospital at the border of UP and Bihar. He said he is not in power and offered me to come into politics and contest the MLC elections from the Deoria-Kushinagar seat," Dr Kafeel said. The nomination process for the elections to 36 seats of the UP Legislative Council is on and the voting will be held on April 9.

PTI Inputs