Karunanidhi demands Tamil Nadu government release photo of Jayalalithaa to end rumours

AIADMK spokesperson Nanjil Sampath said the photograph of Jayalalithaa could not be released as there is no permission for photography from her doctors. “She is normal. She is meeting officials. She remain concerned about state affairs. She herself drafted the letter on the Cauvery issue. She personally monitored and managed to control the communal tension in Coimbatore within 24 hours. All other reports are baseless,” Sampath said.
READ | Jayalalitha advised ‘few days’ stay in hospital for ‘recuperative’ treatment

In his statement, Karunanidhi said Jayalalithaa has been undergoing treatment in Apollo hospital for a week for fever and dehydration, as reported by a hospital bulletin last week. “Meantime, there were also reports that she had met officials and leaders in the hospital to discuss on Cauvery issue and that she herself ‘dictated’ the statement on Cauvery issue for the meeting held in Delhi. When there was a practice of issuing photographs of such meetings earlier, no such photos of her meeting in the hospital were released so far. Many of her cadres and followers remain upset about her actual health status. Still no concerned people have taken an effort to release her photo from the hospital,” he said, adding that this lack of transparency about her health status helps to spread wild rumours among public.

WATCH VIDEO: Release Photo Of Jayalalithaa To End Rumours, Karunanidhi Tells Tamil Nadu Government

He said the government should immediately release the photo of Jayalalithaa from the hospital to put an end to all rumours adding that there should be a standard procedure that makes the health status of a Chief Minister transparent before public. He also reminded a similar event in 1984 when there were efforts to release the visuals of MGR (the then Chief Minister) from a hospital abroad after there were similar rumours spread about his health status among public.

Karunanidhi added that even union minister Pon Radhakrishnan who visited Apollo Hospital last day seems to have not met her inside. “There were many people like Radhakrishnan had visited the hospital but no reports of them meeting Jayalalithaa had come later,” he said.

While strongly criticising the authorities for keeping a mystery over Jayalalithaa’s health, Karunanidhi’s statement, posted on his Facebook page, repeated that despite all his ideological differences, he wish to see her back in good health to complete her duties as a Chief Minister. Ninety two year old Karunanidhi wished CM Jayalalithaa, 68, a speedy recovery.

Senior AIADMK leader C R Saraswathy said Apollo is a reputed hospital and they are releasing health bulletins on Jayalalithaa’s health. “There is no need to suspect these health bulletins from such a reputed hospital and doctors. Amma is absolutely fine. Amma has issued Diwali bonus for employees. Amma is active and monitoring Cauvery issue from the hospital. She remains in the hospital as per doctor’s advise,” Saraswathy said.