New Delhi : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a virtual rally, spoke about a Kerala nurse who cared for his mother, Sonia Gandhi, during her hospitalization, describing nurses as the true identity of Kerala.
Rahul was scheduled to visit Kozhikode on Wednesday but could not attend due to Sonia Gandhi being admitted to hospital. Instead, he addressed the gathering virtually. Sharing a personal moment, he said he spent the night sleeping on a small sofa in his mother’s hospital room, worried about her health like any son would be. He added that a nurse from Kerala attended to his mother every hour through the night, offering comfort and reassurance.
Rahul said the nurse’s care gave him a sense of relief, noting that Kerala’s nurses have provided comfort to countless families during difficult times, not only in the state but across India and around the world. He called their service the defining identity of Kerala.
Kerala has around 500,000 registered nurses, while over one million nurses from the state work across India and more than two million are employed abroad. Observers say Rahul’s remarks may be aimed at reaching out to this significant community ahead of the state विधानसभा elections scheduled for April 9.
During his speech, Rahul also targeted both the BJP and the ruling LDF government in Kerala. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised 20 million jobs at the national level, while Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had promised 4 million jobs in the state, but claimed that neither promise had been fulfilled even after a decade.
He further alleged that central agencies act against opposition leaders across the country but have not taken action against Vijayan, calling it evidence of collusion. Rahul also outlined welfare promises, including free KSRTC bus travel for women, ₹1,000 monthly assistance for college-going girls, an increase in welfare pensions to ₹3,000, expanded health insurance coverage of up to ₹2.5 million per family, interest-free loans for youth, and a dedicated department for senior citizens.
Meanwhile, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi stated that Sonia Gandhi’s condition is stable. She has been admitted for the past two days due to stomach and urinary infections. Rahul Gandhi has been at the hospital attending to her.