Unwell Sonia skips Gauchar ceremony

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's much hyped election visit to Gauchar in the hilly Chamoli district of Uttarakhand was cancelled on Wednesday after she fell ill.

Gandhi, who was to address her first public rally after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed ailment in US, is suffering from fever, Congress leaders said.

In her absence, Gandhi's speech was read out at the rally by Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna.

Bahuguna said the Congress President criticised the Opposition for creating ruckus over the Lok Pal Bill saying the UPA government was committed for transparency and high moral values.

Gandhi said the UPA government would soon bring a strong lokpal bill and criticised the opposition for creating unproar over the issue. "Those who are speaking on corruption should tell us what intiatives they took to erradicate it," she said.

 

Besides addressing the rally, Gandhi was scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the 125 km long Rishikesh-Karanprayag project. She sent Defence Minister A K Antony has her representative to Gauchal along with Railways Minister Dinesh Trivedi, two togethered participated in the ceremony.