Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev undergoes emergency brain surgery, recovering well: Hospital
New Delhi, Mar 20: Spiritual leader Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev underwent an emergency brain surgery at a private hospital here after suffering "life-threatening" bleeding in the skull and is now recovering well, a senior doctor said on Wednesday.
"The surgery was carried out on March 17 to remove bleeding in the skull. Sadhguru was weaned off the ventilator post surgery," a statement from Indraprastha Apollo Hospital said, adding he has shown "steady progress" and his "vital parameters have improved".
Sadhguru also posted a video on his Instagram account from his hospital bed. "The Apollo hospital neurosurgeons cut through my skull to try and find something, but found nothing -- totally empty. So they gave up and patched it up. Here I am in Delhi with the patched-up skull but a damaged brain," he said in a lighter vein.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the spiritual leader and wished him a speedy recovery.
"Spoke to @SadhguruJV Ji and wished him good health and a speedy recovery," Modi said in a post on X.
Several celebrities also posted messages on social media, wishing him a speedy recovery.
The 66-year-old spiritual guru is the founder of the Isha Foundation and has launched campaigns such as 'Save Soil' and 'Rally for Rivers' for environment conservation.
Vinit Suri, the hospital's senior consultant neurologist who led the team of doctors that attended to Sadhguru, said he had faced a "life-threatening situation".
"He has actually done extremely well, much beyond our expectation ... He is now extremely well, he is back to his normal self ... all his brain, body vital parameters are normal," Suri said.
Sadhguru had been suffering from severe headaches for the last four weeks. Despite the severity of the pain, he continued with his normal daily schedule and social activities and even conducted a Maha Shivaratri function on March 8, the hospital statement said.
The headache worsened by March 15, when he consulted Dr Suri over phone, it said.
Suri immediately suspected a subdural haematoma and advised an urgent MRI, it added.
The spiritual leader underwent a brain MRI on the same day, and it revealed massive bleeding in the skull.
"There was evidence of a chronic bleed of three to four weeks duration as well as fresh bleeding that had occurred within a duration of 24 to 48 hours," the statement said.
Sadhguru was advised immediate hospitalisation and appropriate medication schedule adjustment but he had important meetings and events scheduled for March 15 and 16, it said, adding he completed the meetings with the support of pain medication.
On March 17, he developed a decline in his level of consciousness, and weakness in the left leg, and was admitted to the medical facility under the care of Suri.
The CT scan revealed a marked increase in brain swelling and a decision was taken to operate, it said.
Sadhguru underwent an emergency brain surgery on March 17 to remove the bleeding in the skull, the statement said.
Spoke to @SadhguruJV Ji and wished him good health and a speedy recovery.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 20, 2024
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
