As opposition parties in Tamil Nadu questioned how Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who has been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chennai for nearly three weeks, gave her consent to the allocation of her portfolios to Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam, the AIADMK maintained that “all news is going to the attention of our chief.”
Party spokesperson C.R. Saraswathy said: “Only after getting Amma's permission do we do anything. The portfolio allocation was done as per her advice.”
Rubbishing speculations over Jayalalithaa's health, Saraswathy said the chief minister was conscious and was reading newspapers. However, due to infection suffered by Jayalalithaa, very limited number of people were allowed to meet her, she said.
"There is very good recovery. Amma is conscious. There is no problem. She will be back home soon," she said.
Earlier, DMK President M. Karunanidhi said it was a wonder that Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao handed over the portfolios handled by Jayalalithaa to Panneerselvam based on her advice.
Karunanidhi said Jayalalithaa had been in the hospital for the past 19 days and several leaders were not allowed to meet her when they went to the hospital.
Given this situation, the statement from Raj Bhavan on Tuesday that the reallocation of the portfolios was based on the advice of Jayalalithaa was a wonder, he said.
The 68-year-old chief minister was admitted to Apollo hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration. The doctors later said she needed a longer stay at the hospital as she was suffering from infection and put her on respiratory support.
In the last bulletin issued on Monday, the hospital said she continued to be under treatment and was being constantly monitored by intensivists and other consultants in the expert panel, while respiratory support, antibiotics, nutrition, supportive therapy and passive physiotherapy were being given to her.
