Immediately after former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s funeral, rumblings started among second rank leadership of the AIADMK and also in political circles on the factors that led to her prolonged hospitalisation. The media leaks that are coming since yesterday suggesting she was very normal and had humorous conversation with hospital staff are believed to be `diversionary tactics’.

Though most of the senior leaders and ministers are maintaining static silence on her health problems and treatment, the fact is that hardly any one of them had an opportunity to interact with her while she was in hospital. Even intelligence circles are also reporting suspecting of some `foul play’. Many were suspecting her health condition was abnormal since last May elections and wondered why she was not referred to a hospital allowing her to `collapse’.

Moreover, apparent wholes on her cheeks visible from videos related to her funeral leading to many suspicions. It may be recalled that since last May assembly elections, she was mostly confining to her residence and seen not healthy. Even though, absence of suitable medical care reflecting grass negligence of her caretakers, a senior leader felt.

The last public programme she was seen was her presence at the 2016 Independence Day parade at Fort Saint George in Chennai. At that time, many found she was looking very sick, weak and fragile during the entire programme. Senior leaders admitting that “we had a fear that she may fall down any time even as the parade was in progress.” She was found in a major difficulty in walking even a step.

As she was seriously ill on that day, many officials are also confessing that she may be hospitalised immediately after the parade. “But it took another 40 days for the people who were supposed to look after Jayalalithaa to take her to the hospital”, a senior intelligence officer confessed.

Later she was seen in public was just two days before her hospitalisation, on September 20, inauguration of Chinnamalai Metro Line. As she was suffering from fever, she preferred to participate through a videoconference from her place. However, her hands were seen shaking and she was shivering while holding the remote control for unveiling the plaque to mark the beginning of the service, said an official