Chennai: The contrast is stark – missing are the crowds of cadres and supporters shouting slogans for their Chinnamma – as removed AIADMK general secretary VK Sasikala visited her ailing husband in a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday. Her husband, M Natarajan under post operative care is still in a critical condition, hospital sources said.

The stiff conditions imposed by the Benguluru prision for giving parole was clearly effective – which explains why she did not meet many politicians. Keeping a watchful eye on the doings of Sasikala, the prisoner out on parole were two Karnataka police officials.

One violation and Sasikala will forfeit the chances of any further parole during the rest of the terms amounting to some three and half years. She has been asked to stay away from politics and do not visit any place other than T Nagar residence of her niece and the private hospital where her husband Natarajan was admitted. He is recovering, the hospital said but still needed to be careful.

Sasikala met her husband and spent some two hours with him and returned to the T Nagar residence of her niece. But during the course of her visit to the hospital, Sasikala’s car made a brief halt at the Vinayaka temple at Kotturpuram as she prayed from inside the car, like Jayalalithaa used to do on her every important outing.

Nanjil Sampath, TTV Dinakaran’s close aide, reportedly suggested to Sasikala to pray and recite Sundar Kandam from Ramayana for relief.

Sasikala had been granted five days parole ending on October 11 to visit and tend to her husband who has undergone liver and kidney transplant operation.