RSS worker was discharged on daughter’s request, not own: RTI

In April this year, it was reported in the media that 85-year-old RSS activist Narayan Dabhadkar gave up his hospital bed in Nagpur to an unknown younger patient during the second wave of Covid when hospitals across the country were facing shortage of beds and oxygen supplies.

It was reported that a woman was looking for a bed at Indira Gandhi Rugnalay to save her husband’s life. Giving his bed, Da bhadkar reportedly said that he had seen life but if that woman’s husband died, then the children would be orphaned. And thus he gave up his bed, according to media reports and RSS’ version of events.

Dabhadkar died three days after returning from the hospital.

Sacrifice, no? But there is a twist to the story. There were four to five vacant beds in the hospital at the time of Dabhadkar’s discharge. Also, Dabhadkar was discharged on the request of his daughter, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation has revealed in response to an RTI query.

Documents show that Dabhadkar was discharged on his daughter’s request, and his son-in-law, Amol Pachpor had signed the papers.

“I am taking my father-in -law back home on my own. Patients’ name: Narayan Dabhadkar,” reads the discharge paper signed by Pachpor.

Writing about the incident, RSS mouthpiece Organizer had said, “In an incident that shows the principle of selfless service to humanity, Narayan Dabhadkar an 85-year-old RSS member from Nagpur, gave up his hospital bed for another young patient.”

Presenting an eyewitness-sort of account, RSS also issued a statement which read, “Dabhadkar saw a woman wailing and requesting the authorities to admit her 40-year-old husband and provide him with oxygen. Her children were also crying. Dabhadkar told the medical staff that he was 85 and had lived his life and, if there are no beds available, the bed reserved for him would be given to the man whose family needs him.”

Interestingly, Pachpor did not tell anybody that he himself had signed the papers.