Uproar in LS over Union Min’s remark

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha on Friday witnessed noisy scenes and a walkout by the DMK and Congress after Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the opposition is giving “wrong information” about AIIMS Madurai as he took strong action against medical colleges which don’t have faculty, infrastructure and patients.

Replying to a supplementary question on AIIMS Madurai, he said medical courses of the institute are going on while Rs 1,900 crore has been earmarked for constructing the infrastructure.

When the DMK members said the AIIMS Madurai is not ready, Mandaviya accused them of giving wrong information to the House and misleading the people. “Some people want to do politics on everything. I know why they are doing this as I have taken strong action against those medical colleges which don’t have faculty, infrastructure and patients. This is the reaction to that,” he asserted.

“Such illegalities will not be allowed by the Modi government. We will continue to take such strong action against delinquent medical colleges,” he said amidst protests by DMK-Congress MPs.

A visibly agitated Dayanidhi Maran of the DMK said, “Who is he to talk like this...He is blackmailing us.”

As the pandemonium continued, Speaker Om Birla tried to calm down the members and said he would examine the statement by the minister and see whether it is proper or not.

Unhappy with this, the DMK and Congress members staged a walkout from the House.