‘Unable to speak’: Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde diagnosed with Bell's palsy

Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde revealed on Thursday that he has been diagnosed with Bell's palsy, which has affected his ability to speak and prevented him from attending cabinet meetings.

The National Congress Party (NCP) leader also disclosed that he had undergone surgery on both his eyes a fortnight ago.

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In a post on X, Munde said, “I had surgery on both my eyes fifteen days ago. The surgery was done under the guidance of Padma Shri Dr. T.P. Lahane. For about ten days, he advised me to take care of my eyes, especially from strong light, dust and sun.”

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In the same message, he added, “Meanwhile, I was diagnosed with a disease called Bell's palsy. The treatment for it is currently underway under the guidance of the famous Dr. Arun Shah of Reliance Hospital. Due to this disease, I am currently unable to speak properly for even two minutes continuously. Therefore, I have not been able to attend one or two cabinet and party Janata Darbar programs.”

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Dhananjay Munde said that he had shared this information with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis as well as his party chief Ajit Pawar. The minister said that he would resume all his public appearances after recovering from the disease.

What is Bell's palsy?

Bell's palsy is a neurological disorder that causes facial muscle weakness and paralysis suddenly and often worsens over a course of 48 hours. The disease is usually not permanent and is treatable, with people being able to regain facial expression within 2 weeks to 6 months.

As per the John Hopkins Medicine organisation, the cause of Bell's palsy is not known, though it can be linked to diabetes, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), high blood pressure and Lyme disease.

Bell's palsy often causes an inability to close the eye on the affected side of the face and uncontrolled movement of the muscles that control facial expressions, such as smiling, squinting, blinking and more.