BJP demands resignation of Ramadoss

The BJP today demanded resignation of Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss in the wake of the Supreme Court striking down a law, which ensured the exit of AIIMS Director Dr P Venugopal. Besides demanding sacking of the embattled Health Minister, the party also targetted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for "failing" to protect the premier institute of national importance.

"I demand the resignation of Ramadoss and if he is not resigning I want the prime minister to dismiss him forthwith," senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters here. She described the Supreme Court's ruling as the "defeat of Ramadoss and his malafide intentions and the defeat of the prime minister and his government."

"The Supreme Court striking down the AIIMS Amendment Act has established that Health Minister Ramadoss' intention was malafide and dishonest," she said. She said the apex court's ruling has established that the health minister has "misused" the parliament for his ego.

Asked why the apex court ruling was a defeat of the prime minister, Swaraj said it has been established that "the Manmohan Singh Government could not protect the interests of the institute of national importance."

She also did not see the Supreme Court decision to strike down a law enacted by the Parliament as a confrontation between Judiciary and the Legislature. "There is no confrontation because there is a well-established scheme of checks and balances envisaged by the Constitution. While the legislature enacts the law, judiciary interprets it," she said. In this case, she said, the Supreme Court has not struck down the provision fixing the retirement age of the AIIMS director, but only the provison making it retrospective as it was "malafide".

Attacking the Health Minister, she said he has "misused" Parliament to remove Venugopal from the post of Director after he did not get a favourable verdict from the High Court. Another senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Supreme Court has given the health minister a dose of "judicial treatment" by striking down the AIIMS Amendment Act.

"It is a judicial treatment for the unhealthy attitude of the health minister," he said. BJP had opposed the Bill seeking to limit the superannuation age of the AIIMS Director when it was introduced in Parliament in November.