MADURAI: The Central government has nominated VM Katoch, President of JIPMER in Puducherry, as the President of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to be established in Thoppur in the district.
However, the appointment of ABVP national president Dr Shanmugam Subbiah as a board member drew criticism from Opposition parties.
The bone of contention is a case once registered against Dr Subbiah, a surgical oncologist and head of the department of surgical oncology at the Government Kilpauk Medical College and the Government Royapettah Hospital. The Arumbakkam police had booked him for allegedly urinating on the apartment doorstep of his neighbour, a 62-year-old woman, following a dispute over car parking. Dr Subbiah, however, denied the allegations and the complaint was later withdrawn.
Widely condemned
Several MPs from the State took to Twitter to oppose the Centre’s decision. Madurai MP Su Venkatesan questioned whether the post was a gift for Dr Subbiah’s ‘lowly act’. Thoothukudi MP MK Kanimozhi asked whether it was “an endorsement of indecent behaviour”. Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore questioned the ground of the appointment and asked whether it was a gift for his political inclination.
In a letter to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Karur MP S Jothimani urged him to withdraw his nomination, thus removing him as a member of the Board. Talking to reporters, she said, “BJP has been trying to save rapists, women abusers and harassers.
We all are aware of the incidents that took place in Kathua, Unnao and Hathras. Now, a woman-harasser is made AIIMS Board member.” The notification, dated October 15, declared the appointment of 14 members of the governing board of the institute.
They include Vice Chancellor of The Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University Dr Sudha Seshayyan, Director General of Health Services at the Health Ministry; Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor to the Health Ministry and Director of the Institute. The three seats for MPs remain vacant, according to the notification.
Stalin slams Centre
DMK president MK Stalin on Wednesday condemned the Centre which did not appoint any MP from the State as a board member but Shanmugam Subbiah, who harassed an elderly woman