Chennai, July 31 : DMK President M. Karunanidhi will have to be remain in the Kauvery Hospital here for an extended period owing to age related health issues including altered liver function, the hospital said on Tuesday.

In a statement issued on the 94-year-old veteran politician, the hospital said: "Although there has been resolution of the condition which led to his hospital admission, an extended period of hospitalisation will be necessary due to age related overall decline in his general health, altered liver function and haematological parameters."

Karunanidhi, who occupied the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's chair for five times and who has never lost an election in the 13 times he has contested, was admitted to the Kauvery Hospital on July 28 following a drop in blood pressure.

"He was resuscitated and stabilised in the ICU (intensive care unit) and managed by a team of doctors and nurses," the statement said.

"There was a setback on his clinical condition on July 29 due to difficulty in breathing. He responded well to medical management and his vital signs are gradually normalised," the statement said.

According to the hospital, Karunanidhi continues to maintain his vital signs with active medical support.

Meanwhile, Congress President Rahul Gandhi visited Karunanidhi at the hospital.

Gandhi enquired about Karunanidhi's health from the doctors as well as his son and DMK leader M.K. Stalin. Speaking to reporters later, Gandhi said: "I wanted to come and see Karunanidhiji and stand with him. I met him. He is fine and stable."

Gandhi said Karunanidhi had the spirit of Tamil Nadu people in him. "He (Karunanidhi) is a very tough person. He is stable.

"We have a long relationship with him. Soniaji sent her best wishes and regards to Karunanidhi's family," Gandhi said, referring to former Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

On July 26, Kauvery Hospital said Karunanidhi was being treated for fever due to urinary tract infection with intravenous antibiotics and fluids at his home here.

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New Delhi, Sep 24: The Congress on Tuesday cited BJP MP Kangana Ranaut's purported remarks on farm laws to allege that the ruling party was making efforts to bring back the three laws that were repealed in 2021, and asserted that Haryana will give a befitting reply to it.

The Congress shared on X an undated video of Ranaut in which she is purportedly saying in Hindi, "Farm laws that have been repealed should be brought back. I think this may get controversial. The laws in farmers' interest be brought back. Farmers should themselves demand this (to bring farm laws back) so that there is no hindrance to their prosperity.

"Farmers are a pillar of strength in India's progress. Only in some states, they had objected to farm laws. I appeal with folded hands that farm laws should be brought back in the interest of farmers."

In a post in Hindi along with the video, the Congress said, "The three black laws imposed on farmers should be brought back: BJP MP Kangana Ranaut has said this. More than 750 farmers of the country were martyred, only then did the Modi government wake up and these black laws were withdrawn."

Now BJP MPs are planning to bring back these laws, the Congress alleged.

"The Congress is with the farmers. These black laws will never return, no matter how hard Narendra Modi and his MPs try," the opposition party said on X.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also shared the video of Ranaut on X and said, "'All three farm laws should be brought back': BJP MP Kangana Ranaut. More than 750 farmers were martyred while protesting against the three black farmer laws. Efforts are being made to bring them back."

"We will never let that happen. Haryana will answer first," she said in an apparent reference to the assembly polls in Haryana.

Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera also shared the video on X and said it was the BJP's "real thinking".

"How many times will you deceive the farmers, you two-faced people?" Khera said in a post in Hindi.

The three laws -- Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act; and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act -- were repealed in November 2021.

The farmers' protest started at the fag-end of November 2020 and ended after Parliament repealed the three laws. The legislations came into force in June 2020 and were repealed in November 2021.