MESSAGE BOARD
NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Vajpayee ill, leaves Nagpur for Delhi

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sunday left for Delhi after attending the inaugural session of the two-day national council meeting of Bharatiya Janata Party in Nagpur as he has been advised "not to take much strain" by doctors. Vajpayee who briefly addressed the meeting after Bangaru Laxman's presidential address, wished the meeting all success.

The prime minister who arrived in Nagpur Friday night to attend the national executive left as "there is some government work and also after a hectic Parliament session, doctors have advised him not to take much strain," party spokesman Venkaiah Naidu told reporters.

Vajpayee was scheduled to address a public meeting later Sunday evening which would now be addressed by Union Home Minister L K Advani and other leaders.

Earlier, he had visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters at Reshmibagh where he met his guru, octogenarian Narayan Tarte. He was accompanied by Advani.

''The prime minister had been experiencing pains in both his knee joints for the past few days due to exacerbation of osteo-arthritis'', a party spokesperson said in New Delhi.

''He had been advised rest after the Parliament session but he chose to attend the BJP national council and installation of Laxman as the new party president'', he said.

He said, ''Since last night the pain had aggravated causing him further discomfort. He has therefore on doctors insistence agreed to return to Delhi''.

Tell us what you think of this report