Jitendra Prasada critical

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 9. The Senior party leader and Congress Working Committee member, Mr. Jitendra Prasada, was in a ``critical condition'' following a brain haemorrhage late last night. Mr. Prasada, who suffered a stroke close to midnight, was first rushed to the nearby Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and later shifted to the Apollo hospital, in the early hours of the morning. He had the stroke while making a call on his mobile phone and collapsed in his Teen Murti road residence. According to family sources, Mr. Prasada was entertaining guests for dinner and had stepped out of the dining room to make the call. His wife Mrs. Kanta Prasad, found him lying on the floor.

In another development, his younger brother, Mr. Jainendra Prasada, suffered a concussion after he fell and hurt his head in Shajahanpur on hearing about Mr. Jitendra Prasada's illness. He was also rushed to the Apollo hospital in Delhi where he was operated upon this evening. Mr. Jitendra Prasada is in the ICU and his condition was described as critical by doctors attending on him. He was put through a MRI test late this evening.

There was a steady stream of visitors to the hospital with most of his party colleagues as well the Union Home Minister, Mr. L.K. Advani, calling on the family to enquire about Mr Prasada. The Congress President, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, was reported to have spoken to Mr. Prasada's wife on the phone. (According to PTI, Ms. Gandhi visited the hospital and enquired about Mr. Prasada's health. Among those who visited the hospital were Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, Mr. Ahmad Patel, Mrs. Ambika Soni, Mr. Moti Lal Vora, Mr. R.K. Dhawan, Dr. Najma Heptullah and Mr. Salman Khursheed.

A host of Mr. Prasada's followers from Uttar Pradesh were present at the hospital. The Lok Sabha MP from Rampur, Begum Noor Bano, the former UP Minister, Mr. Aslam Khan and the former MP, Mr. Pinaki Mishra, were at the hospital since morning.

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