President Patil accepts resignation of Ramadoss and R.Velu

New Delhi, March 29 (ANI): The President Pratibha Patil on Sunday accepted resignations of Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss, Minister of Health and Family Welfare and R. Velu, Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, from the Council of Ministers, with immediate effect.

The resignations, as advised by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, have been accepted under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of India.

Also, as advised by the PM, the President of India has directed that the work of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be looked after by Panabaka Lakshmi as Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

On Saturday, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) nominees in the Union Cabinet, Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and Minister of State for Railways R. Velu had resigned from their ministerial posts.

The PMK chief S. Ramadoss said that he had explained the circumstances to the Prime Minister.

"We explained to Prime Minister the problems we are facing with the DMK in Tamil Nadu. Dr. Singh assured us that he would send their resignation letters to the President Pratibha Patil with a heavy heart," Ramadoss added.

The move came two days after the party decided to switch-over to AIADMK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha polls.

On Thursday, Ramadoss had said that he would quit the Union Cabinet in two days following decision by his party not to join the DMK-Congress-led front in Tamil Nadu for the Lok Sabha polls.

Meanwhile, in Chennai, the PMK has been allotted seven Lok Sabha seats under the new AIADMK front. (ANI)