Vajpayee responding to treatment; Bhagwat, Manmohan visit AIIMS

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was on Tuesday responding well to his treatment for urinary tract infection at the AIIMS, which is seeing a beeline of leaders from various political parties wanting to enquire about his health.

"His condition is stable. He is responding to treatment and is on injectable antibiotics. All vital parameters are stable. He will continue to be in hospital till the infection is controlled," AIIMS media and protocol division Chairperson Aarti Vij said on Tuesday.

Vajpayee was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday. His hospitalisation triggered VIP visits including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

The news of Vajpayee's condition being stable did little to slow the flow of prominent leaders to the hospital. Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat visited him on Tuesday.

Among other leaders who made a visit to the hospital are Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai, veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, MDMK leader Vaiko and Union Ministers Ashwini Choubey, Vijay Goel and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu enquired about Vajpayee's health. Health Minister J.P. Nadda, who visited AIIMS on Monday, was again at the hospital on Tuesday. Another BJP stalwart L.K. Advani also visited the hospital on Monday.

A team of senior doctors under the supervision of AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria is conducting the tests on Vajpayee, who is bed-ridden for many years. Guleria, a pulmonologist, has been a personal physician to Vajpayee for long.

Modi called on Vajpayee on Monday evening and interacted with his family. He spoke to doctors and enquired about the former Prime Minister's health. Modi was at AIIMS for about 50 minutes.

Several leaders across the country wished Vajpayee a speedy recovery.

"Prayers for a speedy and complete recovery of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A gentle and a fine person that he is, he continues to motivate us through his timeless speeches and poems," Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said: "I prayed for the fast recovery of Vajpayeeji. May God keep him healthy and give him a long life." Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu also prayed for his good health.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted: "We pray for speedy recovery of Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji, he has been a guiding light for the whole country."

Vajpayees' admirers and BJP activists held prayers at different places in Uttar Pradesh. A special 'havan' was conducted in Kanpur by party workers. BJP and Vishwa Hindu Mahasangh members took part in a 'Deerghayu Yagya' at Gonda.

Vajpayee, 93, who was Prime Minister briefly in 1996 and then from 1998 to 2004, retreated from active politics over the last decade due to failing health.

--IANS

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