Rushed to hospital unconscious, high sugar levels: TN oppn seeks answers on Jaya
The DMK reiterated its demand for a CBI probe into the death of the former chief minister.
Tamil Nadu opposition parties, including both the Congress and BJP, on Thursday questioned the circumstances that led to the hospitalisation of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa last year, even as the state government on Monday set up an inquiry commission to look into the matter.
They asked how the health parameters of the enigmatic leader could deteriorate to such levels that she had to be rushed to hospital in a state of unconsciousness with high blood pressure and sugar levels.
The government came under renewed attack after a private television, quoting patient care report prepared by the hospital after Jayalalithaa was admitted there on September 22, 2016, said her blood sugar level was as high as 508 mg and BP was 140/70.
She was brought to the hospital in an unconscious state, the TV channel quoting the hospital report said.
Amid claims and counter claims, the state government formed the one-man panel of Justice A Arumurghaswamy to probe the death of the former chief minister.
The panel has been asked to submit its report in three months time.
The probe was one of the pre-conditions of the erstwhile rebel AIADMK faction led by O Panneerselvam for the merger of his group with that of chief minister K Palaniswami. The two groups had merged on August 21.
Formation of the probe panel, however, failed to dissuade the opposition from targeting the government. The main opposition DMK reiterated its demand for a CBI probe into the death, while the others wonder why treatment were not arranged at her residence itself.
The BJP’s state unit president Tamilisai Soundarrajan questioned how the sugar levels of the chief minister went so high, asking who were treating her before she was taken to the hospital.
“Why her health condition was not monitored? Even a day before she was hospitalised, when she inaugurated the metro rail, I found her to be very alert,” Soundararajan said questioning as to “Why an ambulance needed to be called and was not kept stationary at the CM’s residence?”
Precious time might have been lost because of this, she said.
But it was DMK working president MK Stalin launching a scathing attack on the government said a CBI probe was needed to unearth the mystery surrounding the former chief minister’s death as the people in very high places needed to be “examined” and their numbers to are large.
“A probe by a retired judge may not be able to ferret out the entire truth and unravel the mystery surrounding her death as many leaders needed to be questioned,” Stalin said adding that union ministers, AIIMS doctors, the doctor from London and the state acting governor C Vidyasagar Rao needed to be questioned to find the truth.
Only an impartial CBI probe can bring out the truth and bring to book those guilty,” Stalin said.
DMK president M Karunanidhi had, long before Jayalalithaa was hospitalised, demanded a white paper on the health of the chief minister asserting that she was a public servant and that the people had the right to know about their chief minister’s health condition.
The AIADMK came down heavily on Karunanidhi for the demand.
State Congress chief S Thirunavukkarasar too felt that the current probe ordered by the government may fail to unravel the whole truth. It was said that Jayalalithaa held a meeting with senior officials when she was hospitalized, so all the officials must be questioned, he said.
VCK leader Thol Thirumavalanan said that Jayalalithaa’s death was shrouded in mystery as every AIADMK leader was telling the people that she was recovering.
Many VIPs visited her at the hospital and according to reports no one could meet her. Stalin too had visited her at the Apollo Hospital, where she was admitted, but was not allowed to meet her.
The central government too had a lot to answer on this issue, the VCK leader said.
Jayalalithaa died on December 5 last year.