Bitter pill for Ramadoss, Venugopal reinstated

ACT II, SCENE I: Ramadoss and Venugopal had been at loggerheads when the OBC quota row gained strength.

Other stories in the section:

Venugopal quits, docs hope PMO names AIIMS director

Doctors hope the PMO will pick the new director and not the Health Minister.

• AIIMS faculty for no Ramadoss nominee as director
• There is no question of my resignation: Ramadoss
• Land row: It's Jammu Hindus Vs Kashmir Muslims
• Governor's Game? PDP accuses Sinha of fuelling fire

Featured Blog

Abhishek Patni

MAULANA MULAYAM AND PERILS OF NUCLEAR DEAL

Featured Slideshows

New Delhi: Eminent cardiac surgeon P Venugopal was reinstated as Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) by the Supreme Court on Thursday.

The apex court struck down the AIIMS Amendment Act 2007, which was amended to ease Venugopal out after a bitter row with Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

Venugopal had challenged the Bill in court saying it was introduced by the Government specifically with the intention of removing him from the post.

A bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and H S Bedi upheld the appeal filed by Venugopal challenging the impugned law as being discriminatory.

The 66-year-old surgeon was removed from his post in November last year after Parliament passed the AIIMS Amendment Bill.

After hearing the SC’s decision, Venugopal said the Court has thwarted the "game-plan carried out in Parliament".

"I am happy that the Supreme Court has upheld the truth," Venugopal added.

While Venugopal did not talk to reporters directly, he conveyed his reaction to them through senior resident doctor Anil Sharma.

Reacting to the Supreme Court decision, Venugopal's lawyer Maninder Singh told CNN-IBN that the apex court has sent a clear message to the Government.

“The SC has sent a signal that ‘don't interfere with the functioning of autonomous institutions.’ One should not tinker with the intellectuals who have given their lives to build such institutions,” Singh said.

WHAT WENT WRONG

July 3, 2003: Dr P Venugopal appointed to the post of the AIIMS Director for a five-year term, which was to end on July 3, 2008.

June 2006: The controversy began with Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss accusing Venugopal of defying orders and supporting the anti-OBC reservation agitation and secretly approving discrimination against OBC and SC/ST students in AIIMS.

November 28, 2007: Parliament passed the AIIMS Amendment Bill 2007 fixing the AIIMS director’s maximum age at 65 years.

November 29, 2007: P Venugopal was sacked from the post of the AIIMS Director. Venugopal then moves SC challenging the AIIMS Amendment Bill 2007.

May 8, 2008: SC strikes down AIIMS Amendment Act 2007.