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Estranged Raj Thackeray rushes to ailing Uddhav

July 17, 2012

uddav

Mumbai, July 17: When one cousin's heart became cause for concern, the other cousin's heart melted. On Monday, when Uddhav Thackeray, executive president of the Shiv Sena, was hospitalized on account of a suspected heart ailment, his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray cut short his two-day party conclave in Alibaug to be at his bedside at Lilavati Hospital. Later in the evening, he drove Uddhav home in a silver Mercedes. This was the first time in six years that the two had come face to face.

Uddhav was in hospital for a coronary angiography. His personal physician, Dr Jalil Parker, told TOI that he was evaluated for chest discomfort. "He will be back for a check-up soon," he added.

However, sources in Matoshree, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's home, and Lilavati Hospital claimed that Uddhav had multiple heart blockages and would need to undergo an angioplasty or a bypass surgery at the earliest.

Sources also said that Thackeray Senior and the entire family would meet cardiologist Dr Matthew Samuel Kalarickal, who performed Monday's angiography, to discuss the next course of action. Incidentally, it was Dr Kalarickal who performed the angioplasty on the Sena patriarch three years ago.

A final decision on whether Uddhav, who turns 52 on July 26, will undergo bypass surgery or opt for angioplasty will be taken by the family, the sources added. It is learned that Uddhav had gone to Lilavati Hospital on Thursday for a stress test but the results were not satisfactory. "Hence, the doctors decided to call him on Monday morning for an angiography," said sources. The medical team comprised Dr Kalarickal and cardiologists Ajit Menon and Ajit Desai.

But the news of his heart disease brought about what is being described as a political coup—the two estranged Thackeray cousins met each other for the first time in six years. Raj had quit all Sena posts in 2005 and in 2009 had walked out of Matoshree to launch the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

"Uddhavji is perfectly fine. The doctors have told us there is no need to panic. Given the fact that age is on his side and that his lifestyle is healthy, a decision on angiography or bypass can be taken in the course of time," a close relative said.

News of Uddhav's hospitalization spread like wildfire across Mumbai and Shiv Sainiks rushed to hospital. Key party leaders, too, flocked to Lilavati Hospital.


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Agencies
August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

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News Network
April 5,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 5: Eight more COVID-19 positive cases were reported from Kerala on Sunday, four among whom attended the Tablighi Jamat congregation in Delhi and six people were cured, Health Minister K K Shailaja said.

With this, the total number of affected people under treatment in the state has gone up to 256, she said.

"Out of the eight cases, five are from Kozhikode, and one each from Pathanamthitta, Kannur and Kasaragod districts.

In the case of Kozhikode, four out of the five returned from Nizammuddin meet and one from Dubai.

As of date, 10 people who had returned from Nizammuddin in Delhi have been tested positive," the minister said in a release

A total of 314 cases have been reported from Kerala so far and 56 people have been cured, she said

"We have sent 10,221 samples for testing," she said.

A total of 1.58 lakh people are under observation in the state, out of which 776 are in isolation wards in hospitals.

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Agencies
May 31,2020

New Delhi, May 31: The fourth phase of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, which began on May 18, saw 85,974 COVID-19 cases till 8 am on Sunday, which is nearly half of the total cases reported in the country so far.

Lockdown 4.0, which will end on May 31 midnight, has accounted for 47.20 per cent of the total coronavirus infection cases, number crunching from the Union Health Ministry data reveals.

The lockdown, which was first clamped on March 25 and spanned for 21 days, had registered 10,877 cases, while the second phase of the curbs that began on April 15 and stretched for 19 days till May 3, saw 31,094 cases.

The third phase of the lockdown that was in effect for 14 days ending on May 17, recorded 53,636 cases till 8 am of May 18.

The country had registered 512 coronavirus infection cases till March 24.

India is the ninth worst-hit nation by the COVID-19 pandemic as of now.        

The first case of COVID-19 in India was reported on January 30 from Kerala after a medical student of Wuhan university, who had returned to India, tested  positive for the virus.

India registered its highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases on Sunday, with 8,380 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to 1,82,143, while the death toll rose to 5,164, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stood to 89,995, while 86,983 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said.

"Thus, around 47.75 per cent patients have recovered so far," a senior Health Ministry official said.

With the fourth phase of lockdown ending on Sunday, the Home Ministry on Saturday said 'Unlock-1' will be initiated in the country from June 8 under which the nationwide lockdown will be relaxed to a great extent, including opening of shopping malls, restaurants and religious places, even as strict restrictions will remain in place till June 30 in the country's worst-hit areas.

While announcing the extension of the lockdown in containment zones across the country, the Home Ministry said temples, mosques, churches and other religious places and shopping malls will be allowed to open in a phased manner from June 8, while a decision on opening of schools and colleges will be taken in July in consultation with states.

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