I was witness to Rahul's birth, thrilled he contested from Wayanad: Retired nurse
Kochi (Kerala), May 3: Rajamma Vavathil, a retired nurse and a voter in Wayanad, says forcefully that no one should contest Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's citizenship status after all, she was one of those on duty at Delhi's Holy Family Hospital on June 19, 1970 when he was born.
The 72-year-old, who was still in training to be a nurse at the time, said she was among the first to take the infant Rahul in her hands.
I was lucky as I was first among the few who took the newborn baby in my hands. He was so cute. I was witness to his birth. I was thrilled... we all were thrilled to see the grandson of prime minister Indira Gandhi, Vavathil told PTI over phone from Wayanad.
Forty-nine years later, the "cute baby" is Congress president and a contestant from Wayanad. And Vavathil, who now describes herself as "nearly a housewife", said she couldn't be happier.
She remembers the day well.
Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi and uncle Sanjay Gandhi were waiting outside the labour room of the hospital when Sonia Gandhi was taken for delivery, Vavathil recounted.
It's a story she has often told her family.
The retired nurse said she is saddened by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's complaint questioning the Congress president's citizenship status.
According to Vavathil, no one can question Rahul Gandhi's identity as an Indian citizen and Swamy's complaint about his citizenship is baseless .
All records about Rahul Gandhi's birth would be there at the hospital, she said.
Vavathil, who completed her nursing course from Delhi's Holy Family Hospital, later joined the Indian military as a nurse.
After taking VRS from service, she returned to Kerala in 1987 and is now settled in Kalloor near Sulthan Bathery.
Vavathil expressed the hope that she would be able to meet Rahul Gandhi when he visits Wayanad next time.
Wayanad, which came into national prominence after Congress chief's Rahul Gandhi's candidature, registered record polling of 80.31 per cent in the polls held on April 23.
The votes will be counted on May 23.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
