TNCC chief shifted to Apollo hospital in Chennai

Chennai, Nov 2 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President M Krishnaswamy, who was undergoing treatment at the Apollo hospital in Madurai after he suffered a stab injury, was shifted to the Apollo Super Speciality hospital here this evening for further treatment.

The Congress leader, accompanied by his son and MLA Dr Vishnu Prasad, daughter Sowmya Ramadoss and a team of doctors, was flown to the city by Madurai-Chennai-Mumbai Indian flight and driven to the hospital in an ambulance.

Four seats in the aircraft were removed to accommodate a stretcher and a lift was used at the airport here to shift Mr Krishnaswamy from the flight to the ambulance.

As special arrangements were made in the aircraft to fly the Congress leader, the flight was delayed by an hour. It arrived here at 1555 hrs, instead of 1450 hrs.

Congress Legislature Party leader D Sudarsanam, who received the party leader at the airport, told newspersons here that Mr Krishnaswamy was expected to be discharged from the hospital in a week.

Mr Krishnaswamy was stabbed when he was on his way to address a party function in the southern Ramanathapuram district. His convoy was waylaid by an armed gang at Keezh Kanniseri near Mudukalathur in the district and an assailant stabbed him, using a spear. He was rushed to the Apollo hospital in Madurai and given intensive treatment.

Earlier, the injured Congress leader was brought to the Madurai airport at 1245 hrs in an ambulance, amid tight security. Dr Prasad said the condition of his father was stable and he was progressing well.

Parrying a query on whether there was any lapse in the security provided to the TNCC chief, he said ''we will depose before the inquiry commission, constituted by the State Government to probe the incident.'' UNI GSM-WS GD KD ND1712