The health condition of M Karunanidhi, the 95-year-old DMK president, suffered a setback and he is in a critical condition, according to the Press release issued by the Kauvery Hospital at 9.53 pm on Sunday.
All family members of Karunanidhi are present in the hospital, along with senior leaders of the party, said sources. Chief Minister Edappady Palaniswamy, who was away at Salem, cancelled all his engagements and rushed back to Chennai when reports came at 10 pm.
DMK working president and Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin issued a statement asking DMK cadre to remain calm as the ailing party chief is recovering and is stable.
“There was a transient setback in the clinical condition of Karunanidhi, DMK president and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. With active medical support, his vital signs are normalising. He continues to be closely monitored and treated by the panel of expert doctors,” said the release issued by Dr Aravindan Selvaraj, executive director, Kauvery Hospital.
Security has been tightened around the hospital as well as at the Gopalapuram residence of Karunanidhi. The hospital authorities have issued a notice announcing that no patients would be entertained in the hospital till Monday though no reasons have been given.
Hundreds of DMK activists thronged the hospital, praying for the life of their leader even as some were raising slogans in praise of him. By 10 pm, K Anbazhagan, the 96-year-old general secretary of the DMK, reached the hospital, which gave credence to the reports that Karunanidhi was in a critical condition.
Karunanidhi was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of Saturday following a sudden fall in his blood pressure. But it was normalised within one hour. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu called on Karunanidhi on Sunday morning. The hospital authorities had released the picture of the vice-president meeting Karunanidhi along with Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan.
All former colleagues of Karunanidhi have reached the hospital and one can feel the slogan-raising by party workers around the hospital reaching a crescendo.
With rumours of his death doing rounds on social media, A Raja said, “Don’t believe in rumours”, adding Karunanidhi is being monitored by experts.