SC scraps law Ramadoss rammed through, Venugopal back at AIIMS

New Delhi, May 8 : In a setback to the government, the Supreme Court today struck down a law used to ease out noted cardiologist P Venugopal as director of the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) after a bitter row with Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

Within hours of the court verdict, 66-year-old Venugopal resumed charge at AIIMS. “I have always served the institute and will continue to do so for the time given to me,” he said, in a brief statement signed as director, AIIMS.

Venugopal had challenged an amendment to the AIIMS Act, passed by Parliament in November last year, fixing the age limit of the director at 65 years, a step that forced him to him relinquish office.

Hearing the case today, a bench of Justices Tarun Chatterjee and H S Bedi upheld his appeal challenging the impugned law as being discriminatory and malafidely brought to superannuate him.

Seizing the opportunity to put the Government on the mat following the court verdict, the BJP demanded the resignation of the Health Minister. “If Ramadoss does not resign, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should dismiss him,” said party leader Sushma Swaraj.

But putting up a brave face, Ramadoss rejected calls for his resignation, saying the government’s decision was passed by Parliament. The Health Minister said the government would decide on the future course of action after going through the judgement. “We have yet to receive details of the court judgement,” he said.

Senior counsel and former law minister Arun Jaitley contended on behalf of Venugopal that the Act was illegal as the High Court had in March last year upheld his continuation in the post and the matter was pending in the apex court. But the Centre in the meantime brought the amendment in Parliament, he said.

Backing Venugopal, resident doctors of AIIMS welcomed the court verdict and demanded the resignation of Ramadoss. “This is a victory of truth. Ramadoss is responsible for the entire fiasco and he should resign,” said Kaushal Kant Mishra, spokesperson for the Resident Doctors’ Association.

The case came up before the Supreme Court on December 3 last year after an intense row marked with bitterness between Venugopal and Ramadoss over the control of the reputed institute. The apex court, while admitting Venugopal’s petition, had expressed displeasure over his removal and described it as “unfortunate”.

“Why such a reputed person is humiliated in this way?” the court had asked the government, while questioning the motive behind bringing...

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