The government on Monday said it was not able to share information about the treatment of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, currently in the US, with the media. The government would be in a position to divulge the details only when they come, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told reporters at an official briefing.
Soni was asked if any government funds had been spent on Gandhi’s travel, hospitalisation and treatment and security.
The minister pointed out that party spokesman Janardan Dwivedi had issued brief statements on the Congress president’s health in the last two days and said there was nothing to add beyond that.
“He (Dwivedi) has also appealed on behalf of the family (Gandhi) that this was a private matter and only that much information would be shared which they would want to share,” she added.
“If you wait for some time, you will get all the information as soon as they are made available to us,” said the minister. According to the information given by the party on Saturday, the Congress president had been moved out of the ICU in a US hospital where she underwent a surgery.
Gandhi, 64, underwent surgery on August 4 for an undisclosed ailment and the surgeon had indicated the operation was successful.
“Mrs Sonia Gandhi remained in the ICU for 24 hours and has thereafter been moved out. Her family has expressed gratitude on her behalf for all the messages and good wishes that have been sent to her,” Dwivedi said in a statement on Saturday.
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The Congress president is expected to be back in India in two to three weeks.
In her absence, her son and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Janardan Dwivedi, the Congress president’s political secretary Ahmed Patel and Defence Minister A K Antony have been given responsibility of handling the party affairs.