BJP cashes in, tells PM to reinstate Venugopal, quit

The growing discomfiture of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in the backdrop of disinvestment and AIIMS controversies

The growing discomfiture of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in the backdrop of disinvestment and AIIMS controversies, was fully exploited by the BJP today. While former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and four other senior BJP leaders wrote a joint letter to him demanding that P. Venugopal be reinstated as AIIMS Director ‘‘with honour and dignity’’, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley said his government had been crippled by an unprecedented policy paralysis. Jaitley’s remarks came in the context of rumours that the prime minister was contemplating to resign from the post.

The BJP letter — the other signatories being L.K. Advani, Jaswant Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi and Vijay Kumar Malhotra — said the manner of dismissal of one of the outstanding cardiac surgeons of the country, who had served the country and the AIIMS with exemplary dedication, had shocked the nation. The leaders recalled that his (Venugopal’s) first cardiac transplant, in a rare gesture, was unanimously lauded by Parliament.

‘‘This totally unwarranted decision (of removing him), and the haste and the manner in which it was taken has humiliated not just Dr Venugopal but the professional community of the country as well,’’ it said.

The letter said directors or senior professionals had differed with the government of the day in the past too or even criticised it, but there had been no punitive or vindictive action. As rumours of the resignation of the prime minister spread, the BJP stepped up its attack saying it was time he quit office after having ‘‘ceased being the centre of power.’’

Jaitley said the prime minister was willing to kneel to please any pressure group. Singh, he recalled, had caved in to push any impropriety or unconstitutionality to cosy up to his coalition partners. They ranged from the installation of a minority government in Jharkhand (for JMM), placing Bihar under President’s rule (RJD), putting on hold all divestment (DMK) and removal of the director of AIIMS (PMK).

He sought to know if the PM was caving in because the Congress was unwilling to back him. Jaitley said, ‘‘It is time he asked himself — why am I there?’’