Confident that Jayalalithaa will return home in good health: MDMK leader Vaiko

Chennai: MDMK leader Vaiko on Saturday visited Apollo Hospitals where Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa is undergoing treatment and expressed confidence that she would return home in good health.

Vaiko, who later made a "friendly visit" on Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, also slammed the DMK for demanding an interim arrangement to handle the Government till the time Jayalalithaa returned.

"The Chief Minister is well. All the medical care is being given to her. She will return home in good health. The worries of lakhs of AIADMK workers will soon go," he told reporters.

He lauded Jayalalithaa for protecting the state's rights on the Cauvery issue by approaching the Supreme Court.

Vaiko said he was "shocked and grieved" after Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital last month, adding, he also held discussions with doctors treating her, including the British professional, Richard John Beale.

He termed his meeting the Governor as a "friendly visit" as he had wanted to meet him. "We recollected old days," he said and firmly denied that politics was discussed between the two.

Asked about DMK Treasurer M K Stalin's demand that an Interim or Deputy Chief Minister be appointed to handle matters like the Cauvery issue till Jayalalithaa returned, Vaiko said "there is no need" for such an arrangement.

He recalled that when DMK President M Karunanidhi, as Chief Minister, was hospitalised for nearly 45 days in 2009, there was no such arrangement in place.

CPI(M) state Secretary G Ramakrishnan also visited Apollo Hospitals and wished speedy recovery of Jayalalithaa.

Meanwhile, prayers were held across the state by AIADMK supporters for the speedy recovery of their party chief.

Among others, the state-run Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University organised a mass prayer of students and teachers here for Jayalalithaa's recovery.

Devotional songs and music were played, including by the varsity's Vice-Chancellor E Gayathri, a veena exponent.

Prayers were also held by party supporters at different places of worship in different parts of the state.

The Apollo hospital had yesterday said "Jayalalithaa continues to improve but requires a longer stay at the hospital".

Jayalalithaa was admitted to the hospital on September 22 after she complained of fever and dehydration.

Later, Vaiko said in a release that Rao, as a Minister in the A B Vajpayee government, was a "very good friend" of his. "We recalled the happenings then," he said without elaborating.

The meeting lasted for about 40 minutes, he added. Vaiko also said he met Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai and Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Panneerselvam at Apollo Hospital.

Meanwhile, Puthiya Tamizhagam founder S Krishnasamy also visited Apollo Hospital.