CNN-IBN

New Delhi, Jun 19: Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss will be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday to explain his stand on the controversy regarding the director’s post at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS).

Earlier, AIIMS director P Venugopal had met the Prime Minister and had accused the Health Ministry of undue interference in the functioning of the institute.

Denying that he had interfered in the functioning of AIIMS, Ramadoss said as president of the institute, he had certain obligations and duties to perform.

"Is performing duty interference?" he asked adding that the charges levelled against him by Venugopal were "rubbish".

Ramadoss added, "It is very wrong that he (Venugopal) has gone public. If he had any problem, he could have discussed with me. I was and am always available."

Accusing certain doctors in AIIMS of converting the prestigious institution into a "political hub", Ramadoss on Friday had warned action against them.

On Saturday, a group of AIIMS faculty members, doctors and interns wrote to Ramadoss seeking the removal of Venugopal.

The letter, with signatures of nearly 200 resident doctors, students, interns, employees and faculty members, accused the director of 'instigating' a group of AIIMS employees to dishonour, harass, physically assault and gherao dean R C Deka.

Flaying Venugopal for "illegally calling a meeting of residents, faculty and students and levelling false charges against the governing body, institute, Ministry of Health and Government of India," they said that his action had lowered the dignity of AIIMS and other administrative posts.

They demanded that the director be removed from his post immediately before he damaged the dignity of the prestigious institute further.

(With agency inputs)