AIADMK flag flown half mast for a brief while, later raised to full mast

When all the AIADMK MLAs assembled at the Party headquarters in the  city to discuss the next course of action, including the possible succession  plan, a couple of TV channels, without verifying the facts, flashed a scroll  that Jayalalithaa, who was in an extremely grave condition after suffering  a cardiac arrest last evening, was no more.

Following this, the party flag was flown at half mast at the AIADMK office. As this news spread in social media, the Apollo Hospitals immediately came out in a statement that these reports were false and totally baseless, following which the AIADMK cadres quickly raised it to full mast.

Ever since Jaya suffered a heart attack last evening and  shifted back to the ICU, anxiety was writ large on the face of scores of  AIADMK cadres, including women, who wailed, as the hospital in a  series of statements and tweets said her condition was grave.

Dr Richard Beale, who had treated her ever  since Jayalalithaa's hospitalisation on September 22 for fever and dehydration, termed her condition as 'extremely grave', which had  virtually made the people to brace up for the worst. Dubbing as 'totally baseless and false'', reports by some TV channels  Jayalalithaa, who was undergoing treatment, is no more, a statement  from the hospital rebutted it and said "the Chief Minister continues to be  on life support at the hospitals".

"The Apollo Specialists and Specialists from the AIIMS are continually  monitoring the Chief Minister very closely," it said.

"Some TV channels are wrongly reporting that the Chief Minister is no  more. This is totally baseless and false. They are advised to rectify this mistake based on this press release," it added.