Leaked report of TN ex-Governor reveals Jaya’s ‘failing health’

In a later, dated October 6, 2016--sent five days after Rao had visited Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospital in Chennai--Rao writes about the AIADMK leader’s “failing health”, contradicting the official claims that she was “eating idlis” and “doing well”.

Even as the Justice Arumughaswamy panel is investigating the circumstances around former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa’s death, a copy of the letter written by the then governor Vidyasagar Rao to the then President Pranab Mukherjee has now emerged.

When contacted, former minister and AIADMK leader B Valarmathi said the issue was being inquired upon.

The letter was sent on October 6, 2016, five days after Rao had visited Jayalalithaa at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. In the official communication, Rao writes about the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader’s “failing health”, contradicting the official claims that she was “eating idlis” and “doing well”. The leaked report reveals that Jayalalithaa’s health was deteriorating and she was unconscious when Rao had visited her.

However, former minister and AIADMK leader B Valarmathi said on October 1, 2016, the day Rao visited the hospital, that Jayalalithaa was doing well and was performing her official duties.

“As several unconfirmed reports were passed by unauthorised persons including one Tamizhachi from France over the health of Jaya, I rushed (to) Apollo... on October 1, 2016. I saw Jayalalithaa in the ward where she was treated. When I entered the ward, Jaya was under sedation at that time,” Rao’s 2016 report to Mukherjee reads.

Reacting to the report, N Raja Senthoor Pandian, Sasikala’s counsel, said there was nothing wrong in it. “The governor’s report has revealed the truth. It is true that Jaya was unconscious on October 1, 2016. However, after proper treatment, she recovered after October 10, 2016,” he said.