Chennai: Independent political analysts are finding it unfortunate that an ugly political spat has broken out between the ruling and opposition parties over the health condition of chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who is recuperating inside Apollo Hospital for the past over 10 days now.

Though political parties are now guarded, on the eve of government’s response to the Madras High Court directive to come clean on the health condition of the chief minister as it was subject matter of public interest, all eyes are focused on Thursday’s proceedings on the PIL filed by social activist Traffic Ramwaswamy.

Political parties are waiting for the government stand in the court, but ugly war of words between the two arch rivals continues unabated after DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi sought pictorial evidence of the well-being of the chief minister.

AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswathi and senior leader Panruti Ramachandran have accused Karunanidhi of politicizing health condition of the chief minister. Apollo Hospital health bulletins have maintained that she was responding well to the treatment but was under observation by a team of doctors. She has also been advised rest for few days.

Saraswathi described Karunanidhi’s move as “very cheap politics” and asked if Karunanidhi family ever released pictures of Murasoli Maran who was ailing for several months inside hospital. It is nothing but very crass and cheap politics to ask for the pictures of a lady who was unwell, she said adding “they would stoop to any level.”

The DMK has no issues to go to the people with and so they are raising such issues, she said.

But reacting sharply to these allegations DMK spokesperson said it was far from the truth. Karunanidhi was the first to wish the chief minister and also his objective was only to stop rumors around her health. The DMK sought to claim credit for governor’s visit to Apollo Hospital that took place after Karunanidhi’s statement.

But independent political analysts like Prof Ramu Manivannan felt it was very unfortunate that politics was being played around the health of chief minister, who at present cannot defend herself. “It is not a good thing to happen that opposition leader attacks the chief minister like this but it is also the duty of the government to keep the people informed about the well-being of the chief minister,” he said.