Dr R C Deka, head of the ENT department who is also discharging the additional responsibility as dean of Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, has denied news reports that he has been asked to quit the latter post.

These reports have been circulated after Dr P Venugopal rejoined as director of AIIMS on Saturday after intervention by the Delhi high court.

The AIIMS' governing body had recommended Dr Venugopal's removal as director at the insistence of Dr A Ramadoss, minister for health, on July 5. The two were involved in a battle over the issue of controlling the junior doctors' strike over the reservation issue.

"No, I have not been asked to resign. I am discharging the additional responsibility as dean of AIIMS, besides heading the ENT unit," Dr Deka told rediff.com.

He also denied a news report put out by an agency that he felt humiliated and wanted to quit AIIMS. "No, I am not quitting the institute. There must have been some misunderstanding. I have been misquoted by the concerned reporter," he said.

Dr Deka wanted to meet Dr Venugopal to clear his position but could not do so as the director was very busy. "I will  meet him on Monday," he said.

Another senior faculty member of AIIMS said that the institute was in turmoil, which was not good.

After resuming his charge as the director of the institute following a stay of the termination order by Justice Anil Kumar of the Delhi high court, Dr Venugopal went on his rounds in the cardiac unit and met his patients.