On a day when Apollo Hospital, Chennai saw a bevy of dignitaries drop in to enquire about the health of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, loyal AIADMK workers on Monday launched a social media campaign to counter rumours about their leader’s health and people of all religions held fervent prayers for the speedy recovery of their beloved Amma who has been undergoing medical treatment since September 22.
The party urged followers on its official Twitter account to change their profile image with a picture featuring Amma with the text” MyCMis Fine....NoMoreRumours (sic).”
“All is well with Puratchi Thalaivi Amma. Click this link, change your profile pic & put a full stop to rumours,” the message said. Meanwhile, Chennai police arrested two people, including a software engineer, for spreading rumours of the CM’s deteriorating health .
Elsewhere in Tamil Nadu, leaders and cadre of the AIADMK offered special prayers in churches and mosques and poojas in temples across the State for Amma’s speedy recovery.
While the party presidium chairman E Madhusoodanan, a close confidante of the Chief Minister, led thousands of women with milk pots on their heads to the major temples in Chennai, over 25,000 cadre, mainly women marched to the famous shrine of Thiruparankundram near Madurai carrying milk pots and coconuts and offered special prayers for her recovery.
Greams Road in Chennai leading to Apollo Hospital has turned out to be a place of worship for the AIADMK cadre as well as leaders.
CR Saraswathi, spokesperson of the party is leading hundreds of cadre as well as leaders in reciting all hymns and prayers to propitiate the gods for the health and speedy recovery of the Chief Ministers. Cadres belonging to the Muslim and Christian communities too are offering special prayers in front of the hospital for Jayalalithaa’s recovery.
Meanwhile, on Monday, the first to visit Jayalalithaa were P Sadasivam, Governor and Pinarayi Vijayan, the Marxist Chief Minister of Kerala who flew in to Chennai and went straight to the hospital together where they were briefed by the team of experts led by Dr Pratap C Reddy about the CM’s health.
later, speaking to journalists waiting outside the hospital, Sadasivam said it was a courtesy call to wish Jayalalithaa a speedy recovery. “The doctors attending to Jayalalithaa told us that she is responding to the treatment and she is on the path of recovery. I am sure the Chief Minister would soon be able to return home and resume her official responsibilities,” said Sadasivam.
Vijayan said that the doctors were positive about the treatment being given to Jayalalithaa. “There is positive news from the hospital management about the progress in the health of Jayalalithaa. Our visit was to express our solidarity with her and I am sure she is getting well,” said the Kerala Chief Minister.
Kiran Bedi , lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry was another prominent dignitary who came calling to wish Amma a speedy recovery. “Dr Pratap Reddy, the hospital chairman, explained to me the details about the Chief Minister’s health. She is getting well and will soon be back attending to her official responsibilities,” Bedi told the media.
Meanwhile Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday described Jayalalithaa as a “fighter” and voiced confidence that she would continue to serve the people of Tamil Nadu.
The senior BJP leader, who had visited Apollo Hospital on Sunday, also questioned DMK’s demand for naming an interim Chief Minister, saying it was up to AIADMK to take a decision on the matter and not “anyone from outside”.
Speaking to reporters here after making a “courtesy call” on Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Naidu said he had visited Apollo Hospitals where the doctors had explained to him about the medical treatment being given to Jayalalithaa.
“I am confident that she has a strong will power and she is always a fighter. I am confident that she will fight back and become normal and continue to serve the people of Tamil Nadu and that is my wish,” he said.
Since a “popular leader” has been hospitalised, rumours and speculation about her health should not be allowed as that was not good for the people of the state as well as the “person who is hospitalised”, he said.
Asked about the DMK’s demand to name an interim Chief Minister or an acting CM till the time Jayalalithaa returned, Naidu said,
“It is a matter to be decided by that party (AIADMK) which has got majority,” in the state Assembly.
“How can anybody from outside say you have to put Deputy Chief Minister. After Chief Minister, there are Ministers. And Ministers will be performing their responsibilities,” he said.
Naidu said when the Prime Minister goes out of the country, “still there are ministers” who are functioning. “Here the Chief Minister is very much there. And then there is a Council of Ministers selected by her and they are functioning.And they should function accordingly.”
“If there is some problem, then that will be looked into by the Governor as and when (if) a situation arises at all. Otherwise all these unnecessary speculations are not good,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Press release issued by the hospital on Monday said that Dr G Khilnani, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, visited the hospital on Sunday and Monday and examined Jayalalithaa and had discussions with the expert panel in the hospital and concurred with the present line of treatment being given to her.
The release signed by S Viswanathan, the COO of the hospital, further stated that necessary respiratory support, antibiotics, nutrition, supportive therapy and passive physiotherapy were being given to Jayalalithaa..