Describing the move for the removal of AIIMS Director P Venugopal as an unfortunate development, the Communist Party of India-Marxist on Thursday asked the doctors to call off their strike and the government to intervene and amicably settle the issue.

"The affairs in the institution have reached a stage where the governing body has adopted a resolution for the removal of the director. This is an unfortunate development, which does not bode well for the autonomy and the integrity of the AIIMS," the party politburo said in a statement.

Observing that the strike by doctors at AIIMS and other hospitals on the issue had put thousands of patients to hardship, the party asked the doctors to call off the strike, keeping in mind the difficulties faced by the people, and register their protest by other means.

"The politburo urges the government to intervene and amicably settle the issue," the CPI-M said.

However, it also pointed out that in recent past, the AIIMS had become the "centre for the anti-reservation movement" and "the attitude of the authority running the institute did not keep in mind the fact that reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs are a constitutional provision and that a central government institution in particular, has to conform to the Constitution".