Date:02/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/02/stories/2007090254310400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Sonia gets a surprise gift

B.V.S. Bhaskar/ G. Nagaraja

A woman beneficiary plants a kiss on AICC president’s cheek at Rajahmundry meet

Photo: S. Rambabu.

At her Charming best: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi interacting with Rajiv Gruhakalpa beneficiaries in Rajahmundry on Saturday. -

RAJAHMUNDRY/ELURU: UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was taken by surprise when a woman kissed her and also tried to hug to express her love and affection towards the AICC leader during her visit to Rajahmundry on Saturday. The incident took place in Satellite City where Sonia Gandhi inaugurated 2,184 houses constructed under Rajiv Grihakalpa scheme. Soon after the inauguration, Sonia Gandhi along with Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Union Minister M.M. Pallam Raju was interacting with beneficiaries when suddenly a woman grabbed Sonia and kissed her cheek. Caught unawares, Sonia responded with a smile and greeted the other beneficiaries and moved on. The meeting also saw senior leader Digvijay Singh testing his photographic skills. He joined lensmen and cameraman of different channels who were shooting the incident from a separate enclosure and took photographs of the AICC president from his digital camera.

Congress activists and the administration mobilised large number of private vehicles, including school buses, for transporting people to the meeting.

In Eluru, Ms. Gandhi was bowled over by the success story of Pakiramma, a scavenger-turned Self Help Group (SHG) leader from Kurnool district in course of her interaction with the SHG women members during her visit here. Even as Ms. Gandhi heard her in rapt attention, Ms Pakiramma narrated as to how she began her journey from scavenging into the SHG movement and transformed her family. “My association with the SHG movement taught me how to be self-reliant,” a beaming Pakiramma said. She informed that one of her son was a post-graduate and the other two children were pursuing higher education. Expressing her admiration for Ms. Indira Gandhi and her family members, she expressed her disappointment on her failing to meet and talk to her son Rahul Gandhi when she had been to Amethi.