Taking to Twitter, NCP’s national spokesperson and Maharashtra Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik said Pawar was taken to Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday night after complaining of pain in his abdomen. (File Photo)A DAY after reports of a purported weekend meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Ahmedabad kept the political pot simmering in Maharashtra, the NCP Monday said that Pawar would be undergoing an endoscopy and surgery on March 31.
Taking to Twitter, NCP’s national spokesperson and Maharashtra Minority Development Minister Nawab Malik said Pawar was taken to Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday night after complaining of pain in his abdomen. The doctors diagnosed it as a problem of stone in the gallbladder, and Pawar subsequently returned home.
“He is on blood thinning medication and the doctors have advised him to stop them for two days after which he will be admitted in Breach Candy hospital on March 31, when his endoscopy and subsequent surgery will be conducted,” Malik said later.
Pawar subsequently tweeted about those who had enquired about his health, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, Lata Mangeshkar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, and thanked them.
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Meanwhile, NCP leaders reiterated that no meeting had occurred between Pawar and Shah in Ahmedabad on Saturday. “This is a fact etched in stone,” Housing Minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said.
The Shiv Sena, which had kept mum on the issue, also jumped to Pawar’s defence with the party’s chief spokesperson and MP Sanjay Raut stating that he was confident no such meeting had occurred. “Some things should become clear with time, otherwise confusion is created. I can say with confidence that no secret meeting has been held between Sharad Pawar and Amit Shah in Ahmedabad or anywhere,” Raut tweeted.
But while speaking to reporters, Raut said even if a meeting had occurred, it should not be a cause of concern. “Can’t a political leader meet the Home Minister of a country?” Raut asked.
The presence of Pawar, senior NCP leader Praful Patel and Shah in Ahmedabad on Saturday had triggered speculation of a possible meeting. Shah’s cryptic comment Sunday, that “things like these are not made public”, added fuel to the fire.
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