NEW DELHI: The former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and other senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to "clarify" how and why his name was used at the recent governing body meeting of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences where a resolution was adopted to dismiss institute Director P. Venugopal. They requested him to ensure that Dr. Venugopal's services were restored with honour and dignity.

The BJP demanded immediate resignation of Health Minister and AIIMS president Anbumani Ramadoss. It alleged that attempts were made to humiliate and dismiss Dr. Venugopal, an eminent cardiac surgeon, and this amounted to humiliation of all professionals and the entire intelligentsia of the country. "The United Progressive Alliance Ministers seem to be autonomous chieftains, carrying out their own agendas," party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The letter to the Prime Minister said it was ironical that attempts were made to erode the AIIMS' autonomy in its golden jubilee year. There had been occasions when directors or senior professionals differed and disagreed with, or even criticised, the government of the day, "but that did not result in any punitive or vindictive action."

The signatories to the letter included L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Jaswant Singh.

The BJP leaders said that as a country "we hold in high regard our professionals, respect merit and nurture excellence." This attribute was a national asset. Why was it being frittered away, they asked.

The letter recalled, "Once during the tenure of the National Democratic Alliance Government, a very distinguished scientist was suspended from service. As soon as this was brought to the notice of then Prime Minister [Mr. Vajpayee], he was reinstated with honour."

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