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Priya Ganapati in Bombay
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee is likely to be discharged on Tuesday, June 19, from the Breach Candy hospital in Bombay, where he is currently convalescing after a knee surgery.
Sources in know of Vajpayee's schedule said that the PM would be flying back to Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. Before that, he will address a press conference at the hospital.
On June 7, Vajpayee had his right knee operated upon by New York-based surgeon Chittaranjan Ranawat, in a procedure that was similar to what he had undergone in October last year.
Since the operation, Vajpayee has been undergoing physiotherapy. Sources said that the prime minister is now moving around spryly and is expected to be discharged soon.
Vajpayee has had a constant stream of visitors during his stay at the hospital. However, since the doctors have permitted him to schedule only four appointments in a day, many visitors have had to go back disappointed.
Most of the senior members of his Cabinet have, however, called upon Vajpayee in the past one week. On Friday, Minister for External Affairs Jaswant Singh met Vajpayee for about 15 minutes in what was termed a 'courtesy call.'
Officials declined to comment on whether they discussed the impending visit of General Pervez Musharraf.
In addition to Jaswant Singh, Union Minister for Power Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of State for Power Jaywantiben Mehta and Zee Networks chief Subash Chandra Goel visited the prime minister.
Vajpayee has been having some very interesting guests from showbiz also. Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan visited him a few days ago and presented him cassettes of his popular television show Kaun Banega Crorepati and a few movies.
Meanwhile, selected poems written by Vajpayee during the Emergency are being set to music by a Jalgaon-based social service organisation called the Keshav Samithi Pratishtan.
Led by Jayesh Doshi and Hiranand Mangwani, the organisation has roped in popular play-back singer Hariharan and music directors Naushad and Uttam Singh for the project.
On Friday, Jaywantiben Mehta presented Vajpayee with the first song recorded in the cassette, which impressed him so much that he sought a meeting with singer Hariharan and music director Naushad.
PM's Surgery: The Complete Coverage
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