Paola Maino, the mother of interim Congress President Sonia Gandhi, passed away at her home in Italy, the party's general secretary incharge of communications Jairam Ramesh announced on Wednesday, 31 August.
"Smt. Sonia Gandhi's mother, Mrs. Paola Maino passed away at her home in Italy on Saturday the 27th August, 2022. The funeral took place yesterday," Ramesh shared in a tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his condolences. "Condolences to Sonia Gandhi Ji on the passing away of her mother, Mrs. Paola Maino. May her soul rest in peace. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the entire family," he wrote.
"Congress family expresses its deepest condolences on the sad demise of Mrs. Paola Maino, Congress President Mrs. Sonia Gandhi's mother. We pray for the departed soul and stand in solidarity with the bereaved family," the party said in a message on Twitter.
Sonia Gandhi had left for Italy on 23 August to visit her ailing mother, who was in her 90s. The Congress chief's children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, also took part in the funeral, as per a party member.
Condolence messages poured in from various Congress leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, Sachin Pilot, and Manickam Tagore, after the announcement of the death was made on Wednesday.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Supriya Sule also tweeted her prayers for the Gandhi family.
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