Bhubaneswar: Recuperating from a spine surgery BJD president Naveen Patnaik Thursday wished the people of Odisha on the occasion of Rath Yatra from hospital bed.
In a video message, the former Odisha CM wished the people of the state and said: “My dear brothers and sisters. My namaskar. My greetings to all for the auspicious Rath Yatra. Jai Jagannath.”
ପବିତ୍ର ରଥଯାତ୍ରା ଅବସରରେ ସଭିଙ୍କୁ ମୋର ଶୁଭେଚ୍ଛା ଜଣାଉଛି। ଜୟ ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ 🙏 #RathaJatra #JaiJagannatha pic.twitter.com/WA0vYjfubg
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 26, 2025
Several leaders, including Congress president Mallikaarjun Kharge, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and others inquired about Patnaik’s health and wished him a speedy recovery.
Kharge in a post on X said: “Sending my best wishes for a quick and complete recovery to former CM Naveen Patnaik Ji. May God grant him strength and renewed health.”
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in a post on X said: “Spoke to Dr Rajasekar from Coimbatore, who treated former Chief Minister of Odisha Thiru. @Naveen_Odisha at a hospital in Mumbai. Glad to hear from him that Thiru Naveen Patnaik is doing well. I wish him a fast and complete recovery, and continued good health.”
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also wished Patnaik a speedy recovery. In his post, Tharoor wrote that he was relieved to know from friends that Naveen Patnaik was doing well after the surgery. “Wish him a speedy and complete recovery!” he wrote.
A delegation of senior BJD women leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo and Sulochana Das visited Patnaik at the Mumbai hospital. “He greeted us with ‘Jai Jagannath’. His elder brother Prem Patnaik was with him. He was undergoing physiotherapy,” Deo told reporters.
Meanwhile, Patnaik’s personal physician, Dr Ramakanta Panda said that the former Odisha CM is doing well after his spine surgery June 22.
“Patnaik is doing well and is expected to be discharged on Sunday or Monday,” Dr Panda told PTI, adding that the former chief minister’s cervical spine surgery at a Mumbai hospital on June 22 was conducted by Dr S Rajasekaran of Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore.
Patnaik’s procedure lasted around four hours, and he is currently recovering well, he said, adding that after being discharged from the hospital, he will need to undergo regular physiotherapy as part of his recovery.
PTI
