Union minister Nitin Gadkari was on Thursday forced to sit down at a public event here after feeling dizzy, an aide said, in the latest health scare for the BJP leader.
The aide said doctors had attributed the “spell of dizziness” to a strong dose of antibiotics the minister took on Wednesday for a throat infection.
Later, after arriving in his hometown Nagpur, the 62-year-old BJP leader said he was “fine”.
Gadkari felt dizzy while the national anthem was being played at the event, held at the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University here, the aide said. Gadkari was the guest of honour.
The road transport and highways minister had stood up for the national anthem but leaned towards his left and sat down with the support of his security guards standing behind him, according to video footage of the event.
Gadkari’s aide told PTI the minister felt “uneasy” and was later checked by a local medical officer. “He was already feeling warm and felt uneasy due to the reaction of antibiotics he had taken. After the check-up, the doctor confirmed that his blood pressure and blood sugar level were normal,” the aide said.
“He had some throat infection and he took a rather strong dose of antibiotics on Wednesday evening. The doctors told us that today’s dizziness was caused by the dose. “Doctors have asked us not to worry about his health,” the aide said.
This is not the first time the BJP leader has fainted during public events, apparently because of low sugar levels. In December, Gadkari had fainted during an event in Ahmednagar. He was about to fall down when Maharashtra governor C. Vidyasagar Rao supported him. Gadkari was later taken to a hospital.
That incident happened during a convocation ceremony at the Mahatma Phule Agricultural University in Rahuri. The Union minister had addressed the gathering but fainted while trying to stand up a few moments later when the national anthem was being played.
In April this year, Gadkari fainted on stage while addressing an election rally near the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district. He had fainted while walking towards his seat on the dais during the rally held at Rahata for Shiv Sena candidate Sadashiv Lokhande.
