Melania Trump hospitalised after kidney surgery
Washington, May 15: US First Lady Melania Trump has undergone a "successful" kidney surgery and is currently recuperating at a naval hospital in Maryland, her office said.
She underwent the surgery at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda on Monday, New York Post reported.
"Melania Trump underwent an embolisation procedure to treat a benign kidney issue. She will likely remain there for the duration of the week," her office said in a statement.
"The First Lady looks forward to a full recovery so she can continue her work on behalf of children everywhere," it said.
An embolisation is a minimally invasive treatment that blocks one or more blood vessels or abnormal vascular channels.
A spokeswoman for the First Lady declined to offer more details on her condition, but said the 48-year-old is recovering.
"She's doing great. She's in good spirits," Stephanie Grisham told the Post.
President Donald Trump stayed behind in the White House, officials said, since his travel to the hospital could have meant a press pool would have camped out during the private medical procedure.
But once the East Wing announced her hospital stay, the President boarded Marine One two hours later to visit his wife.
"Heading over to Walter Reed Medical Center to see our great First Lady, Melania," Trump tweeted. "Successful procedure, she is in good spirits. Thank you to all of the well-wishers!"
Earlier on Monday, Trump kept a light schedule with no public events and was planning to visit his wife.
The East Wing keeping her medical condition private until after the procedure was nothing unusual, the Post said.
She largely stayed away from the campaign trail during her husband's 2016 historic run for the White House and has only of late taken on a more public role.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
