Sonia Gandhi, Rahul on foreign visit
As her party and the UPA government are having a tough time dealing with civil society on the controversial Lokpal issue, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is away from the capital city’s political heat and dust. She is on a visit to her hometown in Italy.
Her son and Congress heir apparent Rahul Gandhi, too, is away, apparently somewhere in Europe although daughter Priyanka has stayed back in Delhi.
Sonia is in Orbassano near Turin in Italy where she is visiting her ailing mother Paola Maino who lives with her other two daughters.
The Congress chief left Delhi after attending the June 5 meeting of the Congress core committee—consisting of top party leaders—which took stock of the aftermath of the police crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his followers.
While Congress leaders are tightlipped about the whereabouts of Sonia and Rahul, sources told Deccan Herald that Maino, in her 80s, is having a series of health complications.
Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka had visited the US July last year where Maino was undergoing a surgery. A long absence of Sonia and Rahul during the monsoon session of Parliament had then triggered speculation until the reason was revealed. Both Sonia and Rahul are expected to return by this weekend.
