Partymen missed Sonia in her absence, says Congress mouthpiece

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's successful surgery in the US finds a mention in the latest issue of party mouthpiece Congress Sandesh with the editorial expressing the sentiments of partymen who missed her presence. 

“Congress president is recuperating from surgery at (in) the US and we are all praying for her speedy recovery. We are missing her presence to receive her continuous guidance. She will return soon to guide us as she has been doing for the last 12 years from the time she became Congress president,” said the editorial, apparently written before Gandhi's return to the country on September 8.

A small news item in the inside pages of the party mouthpiece says that Sonia Gandhi underwent a successful surgery on Aug 4 in the US.

“She is currently recuperating from her surgery. The Congress family wishes her a speedy recovery. She will return soon to resume her responsibilities and continue the march of the Congress to the glory... Her family has expressed gratitude on her behalf for all the messages of good wishes that have been sent to her,” it said.

The Congress president has been recuperating at her 10 Janpath residence since her return to the country after over a month's stay in the US.

A party leader told IANS on the condition of anonymity that the Congress president has been advised rest and is not meeting party colleagues. However, she is doing some paper work, he added.

The Congress Sandesh editorial also extolled Sonia Gandhi for being the force behind the party mouthpiece and its record uninterrupted publication for the last 13 years. 

“The publication of Sandesh came soon after Smt Sonia Gandhi took over reins of Congress party as Congress president. In the 127 years history of the Congress, this is the only time that an official publication of the Congress has been published uninterrupted for 13 years. We are proud of this achievement and can only reiterate that unless Congress president Smt Sonia Gandhi had taken personal interest, this could not have happened. For this, we express our grateful thanks,” the editorial said.

Girija Vyas, former chairperson of National Commission for Women is the editor of Congress Sandesh, while union ministers Salman Khurshid and Jairam Ramesh are members of the editorial board. Vyas was appointed editor of the mouthpiece last month.