Blame Ramadoss for mess Indian politicians are strange creatures. Nothing ruffles their feathers. Not even an adverse judgement of the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, when the apex court gave its verdict in the AIIMS case, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who has throughout his tenure acted as a despot, came out with characteristically cheeky response. Washing his hands off the entire matter, he said that he had not done anything and that it was Parliament that passed the Bill. As he did not ‘mislead’ Parliament, so there was no question of putting in his resignation papers.
What Mr Ramadoss failed to accept was that he had made it a personal agenda to takeover the AIIMS and run it as his personal fiefdom. When he found Mr P Venugopal unpliable, he removed him. When the court stayed that illegal order, he went to the Supreme Court for stay order. But when it too did not oblige him, he hurriedly got an Act passed by Parliament, cutting short the tenure of the AIIMS Director. He is, therefore, lying when he says that he has nothing to do with the whole episode.
It is Mr Ramadoss who is responsible for the entire chain of despicable events. As the Minister of that department, the buck has to stop at his door. But the issue of resignation should not bother his conscience. He should not set an uncomfortable precedent for his UPA colleagues, one of whom was declared a fugitive and resigned only when the going got impossible. BK Verma Lucknow
He must resign now Sir—This refers to the report, “Jolt for UPA, SC reinstates Venu” (May 9). It is a matter of shame for the UPA Government that it has been held guilty of legislating an illegal law. The Supreme Court’s verdict on the amendment brought into the AIIMS Act just to sack Dr P Venugopal is a big blow not only for Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, but also the Government. Refuting allegation of misleading the Government on the issue, Mr Ramadoss maintained that the Bill in question had been placed before Parliament after the Union Cabinet had given its approval. Technically, he is right. He has not ‘misled’ but ‘manipulated’ the constitutional channels to serve his purpose.
It is beyond imagination that other members of the Union Cabinet and the members of Parliament who approved the Bill for amendment to the AIIMS Act had no sense to judge its constitutionality. It reflects badly on our democracy that the Government and Parliament act like rubber stamps when it comes to serving whims and fancies of a Minister. With Dr Venugopal back at the helm of AIIMS, continuance of Mr Ramadoss as Health Minister is morally and administratively wrong. MC Joshi Lucknow
Show him the door Sir—With Dr P Venugopal resuming charge as AIIMS Director after the Supreme Court struck down the AIIMS Amendment Act passed by Parliament last year that forced the noted Director to quit in disgrace, where does Mr Anbumani Ramadoss go from here? A Minister that held the Union Government to ransom because of coalition compulsions, Mr ramadoss has finally been checkmated. No tears will be shed for this remarkably undistinguished Minister for the appalling manner in which he had booted out Dr Venugopal from the AIIMS after publicly humiliating him for a long time. The Government got a severe judicial caning from the apex court for passing an Act just to ease out Dr Venugopal. But will it teach any lesson to Mr Ramadoss?
An unelected single member of his party in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Ramadoss’s current engagement with actors over smoking and alcohol is a clever ploy to appear before the public as a do-gooding Samaritan. But the Minister may have been cut to size by the Supreme Court for his excessive brinkmanship. Ranjan Das via e-mail
Befooling the people Sir—This refers to the editorial, “UPA’s hide act” (May 8). It is strange that a day after the UPA-Left meeting on the India-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed optimism that the deal would be clinched. Only god knows the basis of his claim. Despite its tough stand on the issue, the Left cannot afford to withdraw its support from the UPA Government. If the Congress is concerned about the increasing energy demand in the country, why doesn’t it go ahead on the deal?
Unfortunately, by resorting to such pretexts as “studying the papers” and “making the consensus on the issue”, both the Congress and the Left are buying time until the presidential election in US is over. It is certain that the nuclear deal will die a natural death in the post-election scenario in the US. Thus, both the Congress and the Left are only befooling the people of this country. Manoj Parashar Greater Noida
