Pranab remains on life support

The condition of India's former President Pranab Mukherjee continued to be critical today and he remains on ventilator support after undergoing a brain surgery two days ago, the Army's Research and Referral hospital in New Delhi said.

The 84-year-old Congress leader was admitted to the hospital in Delhi cantonment area on August 10 and was operated for removal of a clot in the brain.

"Shri. Pranab Mukherjee's health condition continues to remain critical. Presently, he is haemodynamically stable and on a ventilator," a statement from the hospital said.

Mukherjee's condition had worsened last night and he had not shown signs of improvement, the doctors attending on him said. The 84-year-old had also tested positive for Covid-19 prior to the surgery on Monday.

As the former President battles for life, the people of Kirnahar area in West Bengal''s Birbhum district, Mukherjee's ancestral village, a 72-hour 'Maha Mritunjaya yajna" continued for the second day for his speedy recovery.

Meanwhile, Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, a Congress leader based in New Delhi, tweeted today that "May God do whatever is best for him and give me strength to accept both joys and sorrows of life with equanimity."