‘‘I was offered the post of director in 1996, I declined it as the transplant programme in the country had just started. Even in 2003, I accepted the post only after the government gave me assurance that I will continue my work as a surgeon,’’ he said.

‘‘I have been offered jobs outside the institute, in India and abroad but I didn’t accept the offers. I owe my services to my country and I will always do that,’’ he added. ‘‘I don’t even have a home outside AIIMS. The institute is my home,’’ said Venugopal.

He, however, said that his fight was not against any individual. ‘‘This is not about an individual but about the institute,’’ he added.

Meanwhile, the Faculty Association in a statement demanded the immediate removal of the health minister as president of AIIMS. ‘‘Dr Ramadoss has been personally targeting AIIMS and victimising faculty members and other staff for vested interest. AIIMS should be governed directly by the President or the Prime minister like a Central university with complete autonomy,’’ Dr K.K. Handa, associate professor of ENT and an office-bearer of the association, said.

The students of AIIMS, meanwhile, started a signature campaign against the health minister and Dean Dr Deka.

Ramadoss, however, refuted all charges of interference. ‘‘The interference I have done is increasing the budget from Rs 400 to 500 crore for AIIMS,’’ he told The Indian Express from Chennai.

‘‘The administration at AIIMS had completely collapsed in the past two years and more so for the past two months. The public opinion of AIIMS is going down,’’ he said.

... contd.