Political leaders throng AIIMS; concerns mount on Vajpayee’s health

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16

Concerns on the health of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee mounted on Thursday with all top politicians cutting across party lines visiting him in AIIMS.

BJP veteran LK Advani was among the first to arrive at AIIMS on Thursday morning along with BJP chief Amit Shah.

Ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Health Minister JP Nadda and Smriti Irani are at the hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the ex-PM in AIIMS on Thursday night and is again to visit him soon. Congress president Rahul Gandhi is also arriving at AIIMS shortly.

CMs Mamata Banerjee, Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Chouhan, Raman Singh and Vasundhara Raje are on their way to Delhi and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has already visited Vajpayee.

Meanwhile, some BJP leaders, including Bhupendra Yadav, are learnt to have been asked to go to Vajpayee’s residence and to be stationed there.

AIIMS issued a bulletin a while ago saying Vajpayee was critical and continued to be on life support. Another bulletin is soon expected.

The Health Ministry was tightlipped on the status of Vajpayee’s health and said “AIIMS bulletin is our authorised version on the issue.”

Circumstances, however, point to Vajpayee’s fast deteriorating health with Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu cancelling the event marking the launch of his book by the PM on August 20.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah left the AIIMS in the afternoon, and their body language did not indicate any good news.

Both top BJP leaders looked grim as they returned greetings with folded hands.