Janak Raj releases official RTI replies, says Himachal must now decide “who is speaking the truth”
Preneeta Sharma
Shimla August 21
The controversy over the alleged performance of hysterectomy surgeries on male patients under the Himcare scheme has taken a dramatic turn, with Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker and BJP leader Dr Janak Raj releasing official RTI documents that, according to him, directly challenge the claims being made against him.
Attacking on the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government, Dr Janak Raj said the documents obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005, make the position clear and leave the people of Himachal Pradesh to decide who is telling the truth.
The controversy revolves around a question raised by Dr Janak Raj regarding hysterectomy, or uterus removal, surgeries allegedly shown against male beneficiaries. He had sought detailed information from government medical institutions for the period between 2019 and 2022, including whether such surgeries were performed on male patients and, if so, the year-wise details and official records.
However, the RTI replies shared by Dr Janak Raj state that the surgeries in question were performed on female patients and that no such procedure was carried out on male patients during the period covered by the information.
11 Hysterectomy Procedures, All on Women
In a reply dated May 5, 2026, the Department of General Surgery, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, informed the Public Information Officer that a total of 11 female patients underwent hysterectomy procedures between 2019 and 2022.
The department clearly stated that the procedures were medically applicable only to women and were carried out in indicated cases, including cancer-related conditions.On the question of surgeries performed on male patients, the department gave an unambiguous reply:
“No such procedures were performed on male patients during the above-mentioned period.”
The department further stated that since no such procedure was carried out on male patients, no corresponding records or minutes exist in the departmental records.
Kamla Nehru Hospital Records 2,633 Cases, All Female Patients
Another RTI reply, issued by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Kamla Nehru State Hospital and Mother & Child Hospital, Shimla, provides year-wise details of hysterectomy procedures carried out between 2019 and 2022.
According to the document, the hospital recorded:
- 814 hysterectomy operations in 2019
- 429 in 2020
- 600 in 2021
- 790 in 2022
This takes the total number of hysterectomy procedures during the four-year period to 2,633.The reply specifically states: that “All were performed on female patients/none of the operations were performed on male patients.”
The RTI document thus categorically records that all 2,633 hysterectomy procedures mentioned by the hospital were performed on women and that none involved male patients.
Three Institutions, Same Position on Male Patients
Dr Janak Raj said the information was sought from three medical institutions. According to the documents and details shared by him, the replies state that hysterectomy procedures were recorded on female patients, while no such operation was performed on a male patient during the relevant period. The RTI documents were sought after a major political row erupted over the alleged billing or recording of hysterectomy procedures under the Himcare scheme. Dr Janak Raj has maintained that he was raising questions based on information and public records, while the Sukhu government and its supporters have attacked him over the issue. The latest documents have now added a new dimension to the political confrontation.
Sharing the RTI documents, Dr Janak Raj said the government had repeatedly attempted to question his claims, but the official records obtained through RTI should now speak for themselves.He said the people of Himachal Pradesh should examine the documents and decide who has been presenting the correct facts.“Now the people of Himachal Pradesh should themselves decide who is telling the truth,” Dr Janak Raj said while releasing the documents.
The BJP leader’s move has put the Sukhu government under fresh political pressure, with the controversy now shifting from political statements to official RTI records.
The documents have triggered fresh questions over the manner in which the controversy was handled and whether the government had adequately examined the complete medical records before launching its counterattack.The RTI replies made public by Dr Janak Raj clearly distinguish between the number of hysterectomy procedures recorded by the hospitals and the category of patients on whom the procedures were performed. In the replies shared, the institutions have stated that the procedures were carried out on women and that no such operation was performed on male patients.
Dr Janak Raj has now sought to turn the controversy back on the Sukhu government, arguing that the official replies expose a serious contradiction between political allegations and the records provided under the RTI Act.
The issue is expected to intensify the ongoing political battle between the BJP and the Congress in Himachal Pradesh, with Dr Janak Raj using the RTI documents as the basis for his latest attack on the state government.
