Chennai, December 2 (The New Indian Express): Nonagenarian Tamil Nadu opposition leader, M Karunanidhi, was hospitalized early Thursday, following midnight uneasiness and was advised to stay and get treatment for a few more days.
At around 5.50 am, the Dravida Munnetra Kazgama (DMK) chief was taken to Kauvery Hospital in Alwarpet in South Chennai. A hospital medical bulletin said, “DMK President and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu M Karunanidhi has been admitted for optimisation of nutrition and hydration.”
According to the hospital management, Karunanidhi is stable, but he needs treatment for few more days.
Coincidentally, Tamil Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa is also in hospital and is recovering.
“He is stable and is being treated by a team of doctors. He will be in the hospital for few days,” it said.
The ageing leader was accompanied among others by his son and DMK treasurer MK Stalin and daughter Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha member.
Anxious party men started to throng the hospital once the message of their leader being hospitalised trickled in.
The 92-year-old leader underwent certain tests at the hospital as soon as he was admitted in the morning.
Stalin told waiting reporters that the condition of his father was stable.
Karunanidhi had been remaining indoors ever since he suffered drug allergy in October and avoided public appearances, including party programmes. Visitors to his Gopalapuram residence were also restricted, the sources said.
When the warring siblings MK Stalin and his bete noire MK Alagiri exchanged pleasantries on Wednesday at Gopalapuram, the treatment to be provided to their ailing father was also discussed.
Ever since the DMK patriarch’s health condition deteriorated, leaving him confined to the house, Stalin, the de facto chief, took the mantle of his father who has been serving as the party chief since 1969, the longest to hold such a post in the country.
The sources recalled that the last time Karunanidhi was admitted to hospital was in 2009 for severe back pain and underwent spine surgery at Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre.
Meanwhile, the party appealed to the cadre and well-wishers to avoid visiting the leader as he was under treatment.
Several leaders, including Congress Vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan inquired about his health over phone, party sources said.
A few others, including Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) president GK Vasan, Congress spokesperson Khushbu and IUML general secretary KM Kader Mohideen, visited the hospital.
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