Hours after NCP chief Sharad Pawar underwent a surgery at a Mumbai hospital, his daughter Supriya Sule this morning shared a picture from the hospital that shows him reading a newspaper. Ms Sule, 51, thanked all the doctors and nurses, and said the veteran politician is "doing what he loves the most."
"Good Morning! Thanking all the Doctors, Nurses and Entire Team Breach Candy Hospital. Hon. @PawarSpeaks Saheb is doing what he loves the most reading his Morning Newspapers! (sic)," Ms Sule's post on photo-sharing app Instagram read.
Last night, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope, giving an update on Mr Pawar's health, had told reporters that he "is doing fine" and "a gall bladder stone has been removed using endoscopy".
The seasoned politician, a former union minister, had to get hospitalised on Wednesday for the surgery but he was admitted a day early because of pain in the abdomen, his party said last evening.
"Attention please, our party president Sharad Pawar saheb was supposed to be admitted in hospital for endoscopy and surgery procedure tomorrow, but since he is experiencing some pain again in the abdomen, he is admitted in Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai today," NCP leader Nawab Malik had tweeted.
On Monday, Mr Malik had tweeted saying that Mr Pawar had undergone a checkup on Sunday, following which the doctors found stones in his gall bladder.
Mr Pawar's surgery comes as the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance in Maharashtra deals with a fresh controversy after Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on Sunday raised speculation of a meeting with the NCP chief.
"Everything need not be made public," Mr Shad said cryptically when asked about the supposed meeting on Saturday with the veteran Maharashtra politician in Ahmedabad. The NCP, however, has dismissed the speculation.
Rifts had started surfacing after a bomb scare outside the Mumbai home of Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, led to a multi-agency probe, suspension of a cop, Sachin Waze, who is suspected by the NIA of involvement. Corruption allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh by Parambir Singh - ex-Mumbai top cop transferred over the case - have further strained ties.
