Somnath Chatterjee continues to be critical
Kolkata, July 1: The health condition of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, under treatment in a private nursing home here following a cerebral haemorrhage, continues to be critical with no further signs of deterioration, a hospital official said.
"His condition is more or less the same. He is still kept in the critical care unit and all the standard medical procedures are being followed. Such critical patients generally take time to recover," Pradip Tondon, CEO of Bellevue clinic, told IANS over phone.
"He is slightly conscious at times but extremely drowsy. However, there has not been any further deterioration in his condition," he added.
Tondon, however, confirmed the veteran politician would not undergo any surgery.
The 89-year-old former Left leader was admitted to the nursing home on June 25 in a critical condition. A medical board comprising Chatterjee's family physicians and other specialists are supervising his treatment.
Chatterjee, regarded as an outstanding parliamentarian, served as Lok Sabha Speaker from 2004 to 2009.
The 10-time Lok Sabha member was expelled from the Communist Party of India-Marxist on July 23, 2008, "for seriously compromising the position of the party" as he refused to resign as Speaker after the CPI-M withdrew its support to the first United Progressive Alliance government over the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal.
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MK Stalin urges PM Modi to intervene after Saudi cancels 52,000 private Hajj seats
New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene after Saudi Arabia abruptly cancelled approximately 52,000 Hajj seats allocated to private tour operators. The move has triggered widespread anxiety among Indian Muslim pilgrims preparing for the upcoming pilgrimage.
In his letter, Stalin expressed deep concern over the “sudden reduction” in India’s Hajj quota for private operators, describing the development as a matter of urgent concern. He emphasized that many pilgrims, including those from Tamil Nadu, had already made full payments and were left in distress due to the uncertainty caused by the cancellation.
"I request that the matter may be taken up with the authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia urgently and seek an expeditious remedy,” Stalin wrote, expressing hope that PM Modi’s intervention would help restore the cancelled quota and provide reassurance to affected families.
India had signed a bilateral agreement with Saudi Arabia in January 2025, finalising a quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims for Hajj 2025. This was split in a 70:30 ratio between State Hajj Committees and private operators—allocating 1,22,517 seats to the former and 52,507 to the latter.
However, Saudi Arabia has now reduced the private Hajj quota by nearly 80 per cent, affecting close to 52,000 Indian pilgrims. The decision reportedly stems from revised policies and stricter timelines for private tour operators, which several failed to meet despite repeated reminders.
In a partial relief, the Saudi government has agreed to India's request to reopen the Hajj Portal for Combined Hajj Group Operators (CHGOs), allowing an additional 10,000 pilgrims to register under the private category.
