Subbiah, who is also the national president of the ABVP, was accused of urinating in front of a woman’s apartment.
The Union Government has announced the President and other Board members for the next Institute of Indian Medical Sciences (AIIMS) near Madurai. While Dr. VM Katoch, President of JIPMER, Puducherry will be the President of AIIMS, what has attracted attention is the appointment of Dr. Shanmugam Subbiah, Professor and Director (Department of Surgical Oncology) at Kilpauk Medical College, as board member. . Subbiah was in the news recently for allegedly harassing an elderly woman in Chennai by dumping garbage in front of her door and urinating there. He is also the national president of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP.
Although the complaint was later withdrawn, the author, who was the woman’s nephew, had made it clear that they were under immense pressure to do so. According to the author, Subbiah began harassing the woman after an argument about the use of an empty parking space in the apartment complex. What allegedly followed was a series of unwarranted behaviors on his part, where the complainant claimed that he left garbage outside his door and even urinated in front of it. The author’s family had also attached a closed-circuit television recording of a man urinating in front of the author’s door to support their allegations. However, Subbiah had denied the allegations and claimed that the video attached as evidence was tampered with.
The Center appoints Dr. VM Katoch, President of JIPMER, Puducherry, as President of AIIMS, Madurai.
Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, Vice Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University, Chennai, was appointed a member.
For unknown reasons, the Center has not nominated three deputies !! pic.twitter.com/cS83nNJild
– Arvind Gunasekar (@arvindgunasekar) October 28, 2020
Several political leaders and social media users have questioned the merits of the trade union government’s decision to appoint Shanmugam Subbiah as a member of the AIIMS Madurai Board.
VCK leader and Villupuram Member of Parliament D Ravikumar from Tamil Nadu questioned whether this decision is not an insult to women. “Appoint a defendant in a case of harassment of women as a member of AIIMS, Madurai. Isn’t this an insult to women? tweeted in Tamil.
பெண்ணை துன்புறுத்திய குற்றச் சாட்டில் வழக்கு பதியப்பட்டவர் மதுரை எய்ம்ஸ் மருத்துவமனையின் உறுப்பினராக நியமனம்: இது பெண்களை அவமதிப்பதில்லையா? pic.twitter.com/SlZiOdV6ei
– Dr. Ravikumar MP (@WriterRavikumar) October 28, 2020
The congressional deputy from Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu also demanded that Shanmugam Subbiah be removed from this post. “Incredible action from the Minister of Health @drharshvardhan . Madurai Thoppur AIIMS gains Subbiah Shanmugam as a member. kindly remove the order and remove it from the committee. How can Dr. Harsh Vardhan justify when harassment of women is still pending? #RemoveSubbiahShamugam”He tweeted.
Incredible action from the Minister of Health @drharshvardhan . Madurai Thoppur AIIMS gains Subbiah Shanmugam as a member. kindly remove the order and remove it from the committee. How can Dr. Harsh Vardhan justify when harassment of women is still pending? #RemoveSubbiahShamugam pic.twitter.com/TWpXK93xEr
– Manickam Tagore MP மாணிக்கம் தாகூர் (@manickamtagore) October 28, 2020
DMK MP Kanimozhi also tweeted against the move and questioned whether this is an endorsement of his behavior. “Is this an endorsement of indecent behavior and also an incentive for other BJP cadres to follow suit?” she tweeted.
Is this an endorsement of indecent behavior and also an incentive for other BJP cadres to follow suit? pic.twitter.com/E8ViIMOl6a
– Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) October 28, 2020
Several users of social networks also expressed their outrage at the appointment.
மதுரை எய்ம்ஸ் உறுப்பினராக சுப்பையா சண்முகம் நியமனம் – செய்தி!
தனித்து வாழும் வயது முதிர்ந்த பெண்மணி வீட்டு வாசலில் அசிங்கம் செய்துவிட்டு மன்னிப்பு கோரிய டாக்டர் சங்கிக்கு மத்திய அரசு பரிசு!
பாஜக பெண்களை மதிக்கிறதாம் நம்புவோம்!#MaduraiAIIMS | #SubbíasShanmugam#BjpContrawomen
– Abdul Rasheed (@abosiddiq) October 28, 2020
The infamous Dr. Subbiah Shanmugam @subbiah_doctor who was accused of urinating in front of an elderly neighbor’s house in Nanganallur, near Chennai, recently – is a member #AIIMSMadurai #RemoveSubbiahShamugam @ SuVe4Madurai @manickamtagore @DrSenthil_MDRD @KanimozhiDMK https://t.co/iao3aTL9ON
– Elango | இளங்கோ | ಇಳಂಗೋ (@EKadhirvel) October 28, 2020
@OndrinaivomVaa @arivalayam @Udhaystalin @mkstalin
BJP government appointment of Dr. Katoch, as proposed AIIMS chair, Madurai. Dr. Shanmugam Subbiah, President of ABVP TN as a member. Remember that you harassed a 60-year-old woman by urinating in front of her residence. There are no deputies on the committee. pic.twitter.com/harKcwKAp2– PATHMARAGAM (@ PATHMARAGAM19) October 28, 2020
According to the notification issued by the Government of India on October 15, Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, Vice Chancellor of Dr. MGR Medical University of Tamil Nadu, Chennai, is also a member of AIIMS, Madurai Board.
Read: Family of Chennai woman alleges ABVP leader urinated on her door over parking line
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