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Rumours that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had died, which the hospital treating her said was false, on Monday led to Chennai seeing a bandh-like situation.
The condition of Jayalalithaa, who had a cardiac arrest on Sunday evening, turned very critical on Monday. Later in the evening, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) party sources said she was "responding" to treatment being given by experts, including a four-member team from the All India Institute of Medical Science.
Around evening, some local TV channels started flashing news that the chief minister had died. Apollo denied the reports and said the chief minister was on life support.
However, an angry mob started pelting stones at ambulances outside the hospital. Roads were deserted and public transportation came to a halt after buses were attacked by AIADMK followers. Offices and schools were closed in the afternoon. People flocked to department stores and vegetables shops to stock up in case of any trouble. Many shops ran out of stocks before evening.
Public were seen standing in line for nearly three hours to buy a litre of milk at T Nagar, the traditional shopping hub of Chennai. Large queues were seen in front of petrol pumps. By evening, almost all the shops had downed shutters.
Apollo said: “Some TV channels are wrongly reporting that the chief minister is no more. This is total baseless and false.” The chief minister continues to very critical, said Sangita Reddy, joint managing director of Apollo Hospitals.
The specialist from UK, Richard Beale, who has been treating Jayalalithaa since she was admitted at Apollo, said her condition was “extremely grave.” In a statement, he said: “The situation is extremely grave, but I can confirm that everything possible is being done to give her the best chances of surviving this shocking event. This is the most advanced level of support available and is the approach the best centres internationally would take in this situation.”
The area around the hospitals where she was being treated resembled a fortress. Traffic was halted and there was heavy police presence.
On Monday morning, 136 members of the legislative Assembly of the AIADMK met at Apollo Hospitals. They were to meet at 6 pm to chalk out various strategies in the wake of the deteriorating health of the chief minister. But no deliberations took place.
The chief minister has been in Apollo Hospital for nearly 73 days. Initially, the hospital had said she had fever and dehydration. Later, the hospital said experts were treating her for infection and expert opinion has been sought from a specialist flown in from the UK.
