Adding tension to an already strained relationship between the Telugu Desam Party and Bharatiya Janata Party, a protocol controversy broke out between health minister Kamineni Srinivas and Tirupati MLA M Sugunamma. The latter protested against her being dropped from an official program held at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) that Srinivas attended.Srinivas was invited to inaugurate the simulation and international training centre at Sri Padmavathi Mahila Vidya Kalasala, which is run SVIMS, on Tuesday. Sugunamma took offence for not being invited to the program that was attended by the cabinet minister.She shouted at the SVIMS officials for not following ‘protocol’. She alleged that the ill-treatment has begun since TS Ravi Kumar took charge as the director of SVIMS. She even told Srinivas that she would take up the issue with chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.Responding to the allegations, SVIMS director Ravi Kumar said that the protocol would not apply to internal meetings of the institute He said that the inauguration was not a public meeting in which protocol has to be followed. Moreover, Srinivas had come to attend the governing council’s meeting in the capacity of the vice chairman. “As he was here we also inaugurated the training centre,” he clarified.Meanwhile the Rayalaseema Porata Samithi has given a representation to the minister over the irregularities that are taking place in SVIMS with regard to sale of medicines. They alleged that the medicine are being sold at exorbitant prices which are supposed to be given at an subsidised price.tnn

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