Vajpayee’s condition serious

New Delhi, Feb 07: Former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was in a serious condition on Saturday, four days after he was hospitalised in New Delhi for a lower respiratory tract infection.

“He is in a serious but stable condition and continues to be on mechanical ventilation following a lower respiratory tract infection,” All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) medical superintendent DK Sharma said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee visited Vajpayee at AIIMS on Saturday morning. After enquiring with the doctors and his family about his health, Chatterjee said: “I am given to understand that Vajpayeeji is fighting the problem very bravely.”

“I am very confident that he will come out of hospital very soon. I wish him a very speedy and complete recovery.”

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani, after speaking to doctors on phone, said the party veteran’s condition was going to improve.

“I was told that Vajpayeeji’s condition was going to improve,” he said in Nagpur where he is attending a BJP conclave.

Vajpayee, 84, was admitted to the VIP intensive care unit (ICU) of the AIIMS after he complained of difficulty in breathing Tuesday night. He was put on mechanical ventilation on Friday.

“A multi-disciplinary team of doctors is regularly monitoring his health and all his basic parameters, including blood pressure, kidney and liver, are normal,” Sharma added.

‘Mahamrityunjay Yagna’ for Vajpayee

A ‘Mahamrityunjay Yagna’ is being conducted here praying for the speedy recovery of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

About 1.25 lakh ‘ahutis’ (offerings) will be offered in 11 ‘yagna kundas’ and religious chants will be recited through the day at the ‘Yagna’ that began this morning.

The 84-year-old senior BJP leader is on ventilation at the AIIMS hospital in New Delhi with a respiratory tract infection that is becoming a cause of concern, according to doctors.

The ‘Yagna’ being held at the Shiv Mandir in Manorama Nagar here has been organised by several of Vajpayee’s well-wishers including a former BJP national council member Omprakash Sharma.

Prayers are also being conducted at several places in the district for the veteran leader.

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