Ever since he rebelled against Sasikala, O Panneerselvam has raised several doubts over former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s treatment and death. Hitting out at OPS strongly, Vijayabaskar, the minister for Health and Family Welfare, has said that OPS was in the inner circle and was aware of all details of the hospitalization.
In a statement released on Sunday night, Vijayabaskar said that OPS was one of the few leaders who used to attend daily briefings with team of doctors at Apollo hospital. He said that OPS was making these allegations only because he was out of power.
“As long as Panneerselvam was in power he had no doubts about the treatment given to Hon’ble Amma, but soon after the deprivation of power, he was disoriented and started raising doubts about the treatment. Also Panneerselvam was in contact with visitors, VIP’s, Central Government Ministers and others monitoring to them the health condition of Hon’ble Amma,” Vijayabaskar said.
Here are important portions from his statement:
I reject all the allegations made by him lock, stock and barrel.
Mr. O. Panneerselvam is well aware that apart from doctors from Apollo hospital the following medical luminaries were invited by the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Apollo administration to treat Hon’ble Amma.
Experts from AIIMS Delhi, Experts from Christian Medical College Vellore, Doctor Stuart Russell of John Hopkins Hospital Newyork, USA (through video conference) Dr. Ravi Mehta from Bangalore Apollo, Dr. Shamin Sharma, Team led by Narendra Reddy from Hyderabad, Team led by Dwivedi from Tata Memorial Hospital from Mumbai, have all been consulted and they also visited Amma in hospital. Over and above this team Govt. of Tamil Nadu through G.O. (D) No. 1368 (dated 30.9.2016, H and FW) appointed a team of five specialist doctors to monitor the medical treatment given to Hon’ble Amma.
Every day at 11’O’ clock in the morning an elaborate briefing about Hon’ble Amma’s health, and the kind of treatment she was receiving was given by the doctors. Which Mr. O. Panneerselvam, Chief Secretary, Health Secretary and other Government Officials were well aware of.
When various leaders including Governors of States, Chief Ministers of neighbouring States, it was Panneerselvam who welcomed them and accompanied the Apollo Hospitals medical team.
Panneerselvam did not raise even a single doubt or any reservations about the treatment that was given to Hon’ble Amma. But today he is managing his political survival by playing on the demise of Hon’ble Amma. This is what that hurts me a great deal.
From the ongoing, it is obvious that Mr. O. Panneerselvam stands as the first culprit in the suspicions that he is now raising about the medical treatment that Hon’ble Amma was being given. As long as Panneerselvam was in power he had no doubts about the treatment given to Hon’ble Amma, but soon after the deprivation of power, he was disoriented and started raising doubts about the treatment.
Panneerselvam’s contrasting attitudes, while in power and when out of it is indeed amazing to say the least. When he was positioned at the Apollo Hospital, almost daily an hour by hour he was telling the VIPs about the health condition of Hon’ble Amma. When deprived of power, Panneerselvam is raising a storm about the treatment meted to Hon’ble Amma. This clearly raises a lot of doubts in the popular mind about the veracity of his statements. It is not that Panneerselvam is raising questions about Hon’ble Amma’s health and treatment but it is because he is mentally sick being out of power. Hence he is being derogatory to all those deeply concerned about Hon’ble Amma’s health condition. In Paneerselvam’s interview given after deprivation of his power as Chief Minister to popular TV channel, he categorically stated that he had no doubt or suspicion about the medical treatment that Hon’ble Amma received at the Apollo Hospital.