Published Nov 06, 2026 | 4:58 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 06, 2026 | 4:58 PM
Protesters alleged that some police personnel used abusive language against them.
Synopsis: Telangana Police detained around 100 foreign medical graduate interns in Hyderabad on 6 November as they continued their relay hunger strike demanding stipend parity with Indian medical graduates. The protesters alleged that police manhandled them, dragged women and tore some members’ shirts during the detention near the Telangana Medical Council office. Three doctors’ associations condemned the police action and demanded the interns’ release.
Telangana Police detained around 100 Foreign Medical Graduate (FMG) interns protesting for stipend parity in Hyderabad on Friday, 6 November, the second day of their relay hunger strike. The protesters alleged that police personnel forcibly removed them from their protest site near the Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) office, manhandled some protesters, dragged women and tore the shirts of some members.
Police personnel reportedly arrived at the site in two vans and took the protesters to Dabeerpura and Afzalgunj police stations.
“We were peacefully protesting in front of the TGMC office when they detained us and took us to Dabeerpura and Afzalgunj police stations,” one of the protesters told South First.
They also alleged that some police personnel used abusive language against them. Images of the detainees seen by South First show marks of assault on at least one protester.
The detention came as the interns continued to demand a monthly stipend of ₹29,792, on par with that paid to eligible Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) interns, and payment of pending arrears dating back to January 2026.
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The interns began their relay hunger strike on 5 November, following nearly a month of protests against unequal stipends. On Thursday, around 150 FMG interns gathered at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park and observed the strike from 8 am to 4 pm.
In a statement, they said they had temporarily suspended their protest for 10 days after receiving assurances from Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha.
However, they said repeated meetings with the minister, the principal secretary and the director of medical education had yielded no written assurance, government order or definite timeline for resolving the issue.
The interns are demanding a monthly stipend of ₹29,792, on par with that paid to eligible Indian Medical Graduate (IMG) interns. They are also seeking payment of pending arrears from January 2026.
Their other demands include protection from victimisation, disciplinary action and unfair extensions of their internship periods for participating in peaceful protests.
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The police action drew condemnation from three doctors’ associations – the Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA) Telangana, Telangana Senior Resident Doctors Association (T-SRDA) and Telangana Junior Doctors Association (T-JUDA).
The associations criticised the detention and demanded the immediate release of the interns. They also called for an inquiry into the alleged manhandling and accountability for those responsible.
They urged the Telangana government to engage with the protesting interns and resolve their stipend demands through dialogue.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Sumit Jha)
