CHENNAI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday visited DMK chief M Karunanidhi at Kauvery Hospital here and wished him a speedy recovery.
Emerging from the hospital after spending about 25 minutes, Rahul expressed hope that Karunanidhi would return home soon. MK Stalin and senior leaders received the Congress vice-president.
"I just met him, said hi to him, he too said so. I am very happy to see him. Doctors said he will be discharged soon," Rahul told reporters after meeting the DMK patriarch who returned to the hospital on Thursday night following breathing difficulties.
Rahul added that he conveyed Congress president Sonia Gandhi's wishes, too, to Karunanidhi, wishing him a quick recovery.
A day after Karunanidhi was admitted, the hospital management said he underwent tracheotomy to optimise breathing as he was down with throat and lung infection.
Rahul Gandhi's visit assumes significance as he had preferred to skip to meet the five time chief minister on earlier occasions when he visited Chennai, even when the two parties were allies. Most recently, he flew to Apollo Hospitals to inquire the health conditions of J Jayalalithaa but he did not visit Karunanidhi's Gopalapuram residence, where the veteran was recuperating after his previous stint at the hospital.
Rahul was accompanied by State Congress chief S Thirunavukkarasar and senior leader EVKS Elangovan.