Condition of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee continues to be critical

The condition of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee remains critical and he continues to be on advanced life-support system, sources said.

The 93-year-old BJP veteran was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here on June 11 with a kidney tract infection, urinary tract infection, low urine output and chest congestion.

"Unfortunately, his condition has worsened. His condition is critical and he is on life-support system," the AIIMS had said in the statement last night.

"Both his lungs are not in good condition because of pneumonia on both sides and kidneys are also weak. He is critical," a source said today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the AIIMS yesterday evening to enquire about the condition of Vajpayee.

Modi reached the hospital at around 7.15 pm and spent about 50 minutes there.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu visited AIIMS this morning to enquire about the condition of the former prime minister. BJP veteran L K Advani was also at the hospital to enquire about the health of Vajpayee.

BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Health Minister J P Nadda, were also at AIIMS, while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Union ministers Prakash Javadekar are expected to visit the premier medical institute soon.

After Modi, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi also paid a visit. Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari was among those who visited the hospital.

Later in the night, several leaders and ministers including Suresh Prabhu, Jitendra Singh, Harsh Vardhan and Shahnawaz Hussain visited the hospital.

Earlier, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani had visited the hospital to check on Vajpayee.

A large crowd of mediapersons and others has gathered outside the hospital to get updates on Vajpayee's heath, affecting movement of traffic on the road.

Policemen have been deployed to manage the crowd and traffic outside the hospital.

Vajpayee, a diabetic, has only one functional kidney. He had suffered a stroke in 2009 that weakened his cognitive abilities. Subsequently, he developed dementia.

(PTI)