A city-based cardiologist’s offer of a ₹500 discount to patients who chant “Jai Shree Ram” is “discriminatory” and “contrary to the ethics of the medical profession,” several doctors said on Tuesday.

PK Hazra, the cardiologist, has offered the discount at his chamber at Apollo Clinic, Ballygunge Phari, which he claims to co-own. Hazra floated the offer on his Facebook page on Monday and said six patients had availed of it in the last two days out of 25 who came for consultation.

He defended the offer, saying it was not against any religion. “Jai Shree Ram is a political slogan and as a citizen, I have the right to promote a political ideology,” he said.

Many of his fellow doctors, however, disagreed.

“The move is discriminatory. If a doctor creates divisions between patients based on caste, creed, religion, economic background or politics, it goes against the ethics of the medical profession,” said a senior surgeon in the city.

A public health expert called the offer “obnoxious”. “How can he do this? You cannot ask patients to chant a slogan and lure them with a discount,” the doctor said. “The moment a discount is tied to a condition, it becomes discriminatory. Medical ethics demand equal treatment for all patients.”

When Metro visited the Ballygunge Phari clinic on Tuesday, at least two patients were found to have availed of the discount.

Abhilas Saha, 18, a Park Circus resident, said he came in after his blood pressure spiked. “A friend of my father told him about the offer. I went to the billing counter and said I wanted the ‘Jai Shree Ram’ discount, and they reduced ₹500 from the consultation fee. I did not have to chant the slogan,” said Saha, a hotel management student in Bengaluru.

Samir Seth, 38, a daily wage earner from Kharagpur, had brought his 70-year-old father to the clinic. “I learnt about the offer while coming here. We are from a poor family and it helped us,” he said.

Hazra told Metro that he was not discriminating between patients. “It is not that the ‘Jai Shree Ram’ slogan is associated with Hindus or that anyone who chants ‘Joy Bangla’ is appeasing Muslims. This perception has to change,” he said.

He said that he usually charges ₹2,000 per consultation, later reduced it to ₹1,500 ahead of the state Assembly elections, and is now offering the ₹500 discount.

“I was prepared to fight elections. There were talks that I would be the BJP candidate from Pingla, but that did not happen. You cannot be neutral in politics; you have to take sides,” he said.

“I supported Mamata Banerjee. I was part of Congress student politics. My father wanted to see Mamata as chief minister before his death. His wish was fulfilled,” Hazra said.

The Apollo Clinic in Ballygunge Phari. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

“I am with the BJP for the last five years, and since the RG Kar incident, my support for them has grown.”

Protests had erupted following the rape and murder of the postgraduate trainee at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in 2024.

In another Facebook post, Hazra defended his stance, stating that Bidhan Chandra Roy, Congress leader and former chief minister of Bengal, was a doctor.

A member of the state medical council rejected the justification. “He is free to take part in political activities and support any party, but the moment he brings it into his chamber, he violates medical ethics,” the member said.