BJP to raise Venugopal's sacking in Parliament

Malhotra told reporters that Venugopal's dismissal did not originally figure in the agenda for the meeting.

The BJP on Wednesday vowed to raise the move to sack AIIMS chief P Venugopal in Parliament, alleging Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss bullied the hospital's apex body into accepting his recommendation on this by insisting it had the approval of the Prime Minister.

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"During the meeting, he repeatedly said he had the sanction of the highest authority, the Prime Minister. He used the Prime Minister's name to bully the meeting to accept what he wanted," said BJP Parliamentary Party spokesman VK Malhotra, one of the 17 members of the Institute Body that passed Ramadoss's recommendation to sack Venugopal with a majority vote.

Malhotra told reporters that Venugopal's dismissal did not originally figure in the agenda for the meeting.

"It came up after the meeting discussed what was there on the agenda. Ramadoss came with his proposal suddenly and asked the AIIMS chief, who was present at the meeting, to leave, something that I objected to," said Malhotra, who sought Venogopal's reinstatement to the post.

He alleged that Venugopal was denied an opportunity to respond to charges that he violated conduct rules as a government employee by criticising the government publicly.

Nor was there any departmental inquiry, claimed Malhotra, who termed Venugopal's sacking "draconian".

"This issue will be raised in Parliament. The manner in which Venugopal has been sacked was highly inappropriate. And it is strange that both the Prime Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi are silent on it," he said.