Security was tightened across Tamil Nadu after Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa suffered a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening. Her condition was said to be “very critical” at the time of going to press.
The Chief Minister was shifted back to the Intensive Care Unit of the Apollo Hospitals, exactly a fortnight after she was moved to a private room. She was put on an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) heart assist device that aids cardiac and respiratory functions.
In a press release, Apollo Hospitals COO Subbiah Viswanathan said, “The Chief Minister, who is undergoing treatment, suffered a cardiac arrest this evening. She is being treated and monitored by a team of experts, including cardiologists, pulmonologist and the critical care specialists.”
News of the health setback saw scores of wailing supporters gather outside the hospital. A large police contingent struggled to control frenzied cadres.
Maharashtra Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, who holds additional charge of Tamil Nadu, air-dashed to Chennai from Mumbai following the development and visited the Apollo Hospitals at midnight. He spent about 10 minutes at the hospital taking stock of the situation.
Ministers arrive
Several State Ministers, the Chief Secretary and senior bureaucrats rushed to the hospital while Tamil Nadu Director-General of Police T.K. Rajendran, who was in Madurai for a review meeting, returned to Chennai. An emergency meeting was held at the police headquarters to review the security arrangements late on Sunday. The entire police force, including companies of the Armed Reserve and Tamil Nadu Special Police, has been mobilised as a precautionary measure.
In a fax message to all ADGPs, zonal IGPs, Commissioners, DIGs and SPs, the Director General of Police instructed them to mobilise all officers in the rank of Superintendent of Police and equivalent personnel to report to their respective Districts at 7 a.m. on Monday. “They should report in full uniform with their vehicles for law and order bandobust duty until further orders,” he said.
‘No instructions to CRPF’
The CRPF in Tamil Nadu was put on alert though Director-General Durga Prasad said he had not received any instructions on the deployment (as of 11 p.m.). An official in the Ministry of Home Affairs told The Hindu no request was made by Tamil Nadu for central forces.
As news of Ms. Jayalalithaa’s health setback spread, many people cancelled journeys. Queues were seen at fuel stations, ATMs and shops.
Ms. Jayalalithaa was admitted to Apollo Hospitals on September 22 and had been under intensive treatment from specialists and moved to a private ward only on November 19. Dr. Richard John Beale, intensive care expert from the U.K., and specialists from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences attended on her.
(With additional reporting by R. Sujatha, Dennis S. Jesudasan and T.K. Rohit)
