Former Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday termed as "cruel" the behaviour of the RML hospital authorities towards the family members of deceased Indian Union Muslim League leader E Ahamed.
The senior Congress leader said he was pained by the fact that the family members of the former Union minister were allegedly not allowed to meet him or informed about his health at the government-run hospital.
"It is because of the cruel approach of the authorities that Congress President (Sonia Gandhi) visited the hospital at night and spent almost two hours despite her ill health. I'm deeply pained," Antony told reporters after paying homage to the departed leader.
High drama prevailed at RML on Tueday night when top Congress leaders including Sonia and Rahul Gandhi rushed to the hospital to enquire about Ahamed's health and meet his distraught family members. The leaders had alleged that his family was not being allowed to meet him.
The 78-year-old passed away early Wednesday at RML hospital here.
The MP from Kerala's Mallapuram suffered a cardiac arrest during the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Tuesday.