India Defence Minister faints at parade

(May 31, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Defence Minister AK Antony fainted during the passing out parade at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune Saturday.

Military doctors who attended on the 68-year old minister said work exhaustion and dehydration caused the dizziness.

We have done two ECGs on him and both are normal. His blood pressure and everything else is normal," NDA Commandant Air Marshal T S Randhawa told reporters.

Officials standing nearby rushed to his aid and a chair was also brought in for him to sit, but he insisted on standing till the parade was over and the cadets had marched out of the ground.

Antony vomitted and fainted again and was immediately carried from the dais, where he had taken the salute and addressed the cadets, by the officers to his car.

Officials said the Minister insisted on going back to the dais to see the parade through, which was, however, not disrupted due to his illness and continued.

Antony then kept standing next his car and refused to sit down till the cadets had marched out of the parade ground and trooped into the Science Block as is the tradition.

After the parade was over, Antony was taken to the Military Hospital in the NDA campus, where he was given liquids and subjected to a thorough health check-up.

"He is doing fine. All vital functions are normal.

We have done two ECGs on him and both are normal. His blood pressure and everything else is normal," NDA Commandant Air Marshal T S Randhawa told reporters.
- Sri Lanka Guardian