Gadkari faints at Ahmednagar event, later says I am ok

minister for transport, shipping and water resources Nitin Gadkari fainted during a function in Ahmednagar on Friday afternoon and he was brought to Nagpur by a special plane in the evening.

After arriving at the airport, he said he was feeling better and would take rest. “I was feeling uneasy because of scorching sunlight. My blood pressure and sugar are normal. I was attended to by doctors and I am now doing well. I am ok now. Nothing to worry. Going home and would take rest. I thank you all for your wishes,” he said.

The incident happened when he was standing with other dignitaries, including Maharashtra governor C Vidyasagar Rao, for the National Anthem at the convocation function of the Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth Agricultural University at Rahuri in Ahmednagar.

Suddenly, he started feeling uneasy, lost his balance and collapsed on the dais. Rao and some others immediately reacted to prevent him from falling. He was taken to a government guest house and examined by a team of doctors.

A diabetic, Gadkari’s condition was “stable”, said Atul Mandekar, officer on special duty.

Gadkari also said he would undergo a complete check-up at a private nursing home in Nagpur on Saturday. Maharashtra minister for energy, Chandrasekhar Bawankule, who was at Nagpur airport to receive him, said Gadkari’s hectic schedule in public life might have taken a toll on his health.

Gadkari, who handles three key portfolios, is known to maintain a stringent over-15-hour schedule — starting 8 am and his working day continues well past midnight.

NAGPUR:Union