New Delhi, June 21: Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss today put off a meeting with the faculty and students of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, but asked institute director P. Venugopal to explain why he made their spat public.

Venugopal had indicated to reporters last week that the health ministry had been meddling in the administration of the institute and had interfered with the process of internal appointments.

“It was wrong on his part to rake up the issue in pubic,” said Ramadoss, who is also the institute’s president. “A letter has been sent to Dr Venugopal asking (for) his explanation.”

Ramadoss, who had indicated on Monday he would be meeting the AIIMS community today, said: “I have not cancelled the meeting. It has been postponed as 30 to 40 faculty members are on holiday. We will meet in two weeks.”

As the battle heated up, Delhi High Court issued notices to the Centre and AIIMS on a petition that complained that services at the hospital were suffering because of controversies such as the anti-quota agitation and the Ramadoss-Venugopal fight.

The petitioner sought a panel headed by a high court judge to demarcate the functions of the hospital’s director and president.

A senior member of the faculty association, too, said his colleagues were fed up of the ego clash. “Many of us are tired and want to stay away from this warfare.”

The faculty association will not issue any formal statement on the stand-off, said its president, Dr A.B. Dey.

AIIMS sources said there is a clear divide within the faculty. “Those who benefited during Venugopal’s regime appear to be with him. But many are worried about the state of affairs and general decline,” they added.

A senior faculty member said there was clear “interference” from the health ministry: it had rejected the director’s choice of a dean. Others argued that AIIMS regulations made the health minister the final authority.

A PIL has challenged Venugopal’s continuation as AIIMS director on the ground that he also holds the position of professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.