Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP national president Amit Shah visited Apollo Hospitals, where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa is undergoing treatment, on Wednesday afternoon, and wished her speedy recovery.
The duo entered the hospital gates at 2.10 p.m. in the afternoon and stayed within the premises, on Greams Lane, for about 20 minutes.
They were accompanied by BJP’s national secretary H. Raja, national executive member C.P. Radhakrishnan, and the party's state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan.
AIADMK leader, and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai was among those within Apollo at the time of the BJP delegation’s visit.
Union Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu had visited the hospital on Sunday. All India Congress Committee vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Puducherry CM V. Narayanasamy and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan are among the dignitaries who visited Apollo in the past five days.
‘No politics involved in visit by BJP leaders’
None of the BJP leaders interacted with waiting journalists after the hospital visit; however, they individually tweeted about it later, wishing and praying for her speedy recovery.
“Visited Apollo hospital Chennai today. I wish J Jayalalithaa Ji, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu a speedy recovery,” Mr. Jaitley tweeted.
Visited Apollo hospital Chennai today. I wish J Jayalalithaa Ji, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu a speedy recovery.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) >October 12, 2016
BJP national president Amit Shah, who accompanied him on the visit, wrote:
“Visited Apollo Hospital in Chennai to enquire about the health of Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa Ji. I wish and pray for her speedy recovery.” “We sincerely hope that she would resume her duties soon in the service of the people of Tamil Nadu,” said a press statement issued from the BJP’s Central Office later in the day.
Visited Apollo Hospital in Chennai to enquire about the health of Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa Ji. I wish and pray for her speedy recovery.
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) >October 12, 2016
Former Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy also visited the hospital earlier in the day. “I pray for her speedy recovery,” he told reporters.
Mr. Shah and Mr. Jaitley had reached Chennai by an Air India flight from Delhi shortly after 12.30 in the afternoon. They reached MRC Nagar’s Image Auditorium at 1.10 pm for an informal lunch meeting with various BJP leaders. Speaking to reporters outside the auditorium, BJP State president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan said the senior leaders’ intention was only to visit the Chief Minister, who is unwell and recovering. She added that there was no politics involved.
