- The road show was halted after Sonia Gandhi complained of uneasiness.
- She returned to Delhi, following her doctor’s advice.
- She was taken to Army Research and Referral Hospital in the capital for a check-up.
- She was holding a roadshow in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, Varanasi.
- By the end of the roadshow, Gandhi would have covered a six-km stretch starting from the Circuit House area.
- She was scheduled to pay her maiden visit to the Kashi Vishwanath temple after the roadshow.
- She said she was “saddened” about cutting the trip short, but would return to pay a visit to the temple.
- 403-member strong, poll-bound Uttar Pradesh is the largest Assembly in the country.
Sonia Gandhi Lands in Delhi, Hospitalised
After cutting her Varanasi rally short owing to her health, Sonia Gandhi has landed in Delhi. Daughter Priyanka Vadra told media outside the Delhi airport that her mother was very keen to attend the rally, but it took a toll on her health.
According to Dr D S Rana , Chairman (BOM) , Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, “ Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital today at 01:30 pm under the care of Dr Arup Basu and his team from Department of Pulmonology. She is dehydrated but is presently stable and her further investigations are being conducted. She is advised rest .”
Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior Congress party leader in Uttar Pradesh said Gandhi has been hospitalised and is stable. She was taken to Army Research and Referral Hospital in the capital for a medical check-up. On Wednesday, she was shifted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
In Varanasi, after she complained of uneasiness midway through the rally, she was taken to a lodge where doctors attended on her and advised her rest. Ghanshyam Srivastava, a doctor who attended on her, said she was feeling dehydrated and running high blood pressure as well as fever.
According to sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered to help by sending a doctor for her health check-up and a plane for her journey back to Delhi.
He also enquired about her health, keeping in touch with Sheila Dikshit, Congress’ Chief Ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh, who was with Gandhi during the rally.
Taking the battle to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s turf, Congress President Sonia Gandhi launched her party’s campaign, on Tuesday, for the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly election with a massive roadshow in Varanasi.
Thousands of Congress supporters and workers took part in the roadshow from the Circuit House to Englishiya Line, a distance of about eight kilometres.
The BJP claimed that Congress was trying to “return the favour” to the Samajwadi Party by working to cut into anti-incumbency votes in the state.
Congress owes Rahul Gandhi’s win to Samajwadi Party. Now it is trying to return the favour to it by trying to cut into anti-incumbency votes in the state. It is doing so to support SPShrikant Sharma, BJP’s National Secretary
However, Sonia Gandhi had to cut short the roadshow towards the end of the eight-km march route in the evening after she complained of uneasiness.
Saddened that due to my ill health, I had to cut my visit to Varanasi short. I will come back very soon, and then visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.Sonia Gandhi
According to Congress sources, 69-years-old Gandhi was returning to Delhi having cancelled her visit to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Congress sources confirmed to PTI that Gandhi was suffering from viral fever but had decided to go ahead with the roadshow as she was not inclined to cancel it at the last minute.
The Congress released an official statement from Gandhi, where she thanked the party supporters for their enthusiastic response to the rally.
Sonia Unwell, Rally Terminated Midway
Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s roadshow in Varanasi was cut short as she felt unwell. She will be returning to Delhi after consulting her doctor, reports ANI.
In an official statement, the Congress party said:
Soniaji hadn’t been keeping well but insisted in coming down to Varanasi since this program was pre-scheduled. However, the huge turnout caused the two hour long roadshow to last for five hours and owing to the heat and subsequent dehydration, she was taken ill. She’s now returning to Delhi but will certainly be back to Kashi Vishwanath for a darshan at a later date.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Sonia speedy recovery in a tweet.
Sonia Gandhi will be completely fine and she will see the Modi government’s eradication to its end.Pramod Tiwari, Congress Leader