HOME   
   NEWS   
   BUSINESS   
   CRICKET   
   SPORTS   
   MOVIES   
   NET GUIDE   
   SHOPPING   
   BLOGS  
   ASTROLOGY  
   MATCHMAKER  


Search:



The Web

Rediff








News
Capital Buzz
Commentary
Dear Rediff
Diary
Elections
Interviews
Rediff Poll
Specials
Gallery
The States



Home > News > PTI

Cramp forces V-P to end address midway

February 17, 2003 16:14 IST

Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat was on Monday forced to abruptly stop reading out the Hindi version of President A P J Abdul Kalam's address to a joint sitting of Parliament due to a cramp in his right leg.

When the 80-year-old Shekhawat neared the end of the nearly 75-minute address, a security personnel saw him in discomfort and helped him sit in a chair in the podium of Parliament's Central Hall.

As Union minister and physician C P Thakur, Parliamentary Affairs and Health Minister Sushma Swaraj and a Parliament doctor attended on Shekhawat, Kalam, who had read out his address in English first, brought the ceremony to a close saying the speech in Hindi should be taken as read.

But when the national anthem was played, the vice-president got up and stood through its complete duration, prompting the Members of Parliament to give a thunderous ovation.

The vice-president's personal physician R S Rathore did a check-up and found his pulse rate and blood pressure to be normal.

Later, Swaraj told reporters that the vice-president was "alright" and had gone home to take rest.

The incident prompted Swaraj to suggest that an all-party meeting be called to do away with the practice of the Hindi translation of the President's address being read out, and be replaced with simultaneous interpretation.



© Copyright 2003 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.






Article Tools

Email this Article

Printer-Friendly Format

Letter to the Editor



Related Stories


Shinde seeks Rs 1,000 cr aid

Eight pc growth possible: Kalam

'Abide by SC ruling on Ayodhya'



People Who Read This Also Read


'2 Punjab ministers in sex racket'

Jayalalithaa hits campaign trail

Israeli firm may help Maharashtra







HOME   
   NEWS   
   BUSINESS   
   CRICKET   
   SPORTS   
   MOVIES   
   NET GUIDE   
   SHOPPING   
   BLOGS  
   ASTROLOGY  
   MATCHMAKER  
Copyright © 2003 rediff.com India Limited. All Rights Reserved.