Missing birthday boy

The usual beating of drums and slogan shouting outside the Congress national headquarters to mark the birthday of Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was missing on a day the leader turned 47. Gandhi had on June 13 flown to Italy to see his grandmother and spend time with the family. It was not known if the leader celebrated his birthday there or at some other place. In the past, though Rahul would urge party colleagues not to make an event out of it, the youth wing workers would beat drums and distribute sweets outside the party headquarters to convey their wishes.