Bhagalpur, Jan. 30: State health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey today asked the principal of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JNMCH) to identify and initiate action against the students of the college involved in triggering violence on January 28 night.

Choubey, who arrived in Bhagalpur this morning to monitor the ongoing programmes undertaken by the health department, appeared aggressive and vowed to punish the guilty JNMCH students.

On his comments that angered Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) doctors, he said: “The electronic media destructed (concocted) my statement. I had said action should be taken if someone tries to paralyse essential services like health. Now, if I initiate action against students (of JNMCH) who had acted like criminals, should I be blamed for it?”

Choubey said he would not tolerate students causing trouble to patients. “For the sake of the patients, I can do anything. I have alternative arrangements to handle adverse situations,” he said.

At a function of his department on Saturday, Choubey, while referring to the junior doctors of PMCH, who had threatened to resort to strike from January 31, had said: “Unke haath kaat diye jayenge, unke par katar diye jayenge (their arms will be cut and their wings will be clipped).”

On the same day, JNMCH students who were celebrating Saraswati Puja on the college campus, went on the rampage. The incident occurred when a cultural programme was underway and some outsiders tried to enter the premises. A few college students took to violence on Adampur-Tilamajhi road and targeted pedestrians. They even assaulted a few journalists, damaged the camera of a photographer and took a journalist hostage. Police, however, managed to control the situation and rescued the journalist.

Bhagalpur district administration sought an inquiry report from the college administration to find who were involved in the incident. Sunil Kumar, the sub-divisional officer, said proper action would be taken against the guilty after the report is filed. Besides, the police were told to conduct a separate inquiry into the incident.

“It is a matter of concern that recently there were several incidences of violence in which medical college students were involved. We would certainly not tolerate such things,” Kumar said.

Arjun Singh, the principal of JNMCH, admitted that some students had crossed their limits. “We will take appropriate action once the inquiry report is tabled,” he said.