Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, who was admitted to the city’s Ruby Hall Clinic last week after he complained of exhaustion, was discharged after doctors certified him of good health. He headed for Mumbai soon after his release from the hospital.
Mr. Pawar was admitted to the hospital last Sunday after complaining of fatigue and breathlessness. Doctors said all his medical tests were normal.
The 75-year-old politician spent three days in the hospital amid a swirl of wild rumours doing the rounds on social media that posited Mr. Pawar as being in “an extremely serious medical condition”.
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One extreme, persisitent rumour alleged that Mr. Pawar had passed away, compelling the NCP to release a video showing a healthy, rejuvenated Mr. Pawar chatting away with his daughter Supriya Sule, friends and party workers in his hospital room.
The Maratha strongman laughed off the grapevine about his alleged death, especially being amused with those speculating that his passing away was being kept a “secret” on account of Republic Day celebrations and the bad news would be revealed on Wednesday.
“I have tours lined up for the next two months without a single day off. I cannot make room for rest in my busy schedule. I hate sitting in one place for too long a while anyway,” Mr. Pawar said, reacting to the doctors’ suggestions of advising him a complete week-long rest.
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The NCP chief later tweeted news of his “good health”, expressing his gratitude to people and party activists for their concern.
Mr. Pawar’s health has been a source of constant speculation in recent years. In 2013, the NCP leader had complained of uneasiness while on a visit to Sangli district, where he was compelled to cut short his visit.
In 2012, Mr. Pawar was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital in what NCP leaders, eager to dispel alarms, dubbed the visit “a routine medical check-up”.