The high-profile Congress rally today took a bad turn for party chief Mallikarjun Kharge when he suffered a "syncopal attack", but continued his speech promising that he will not die in office before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is removed from power.
"When our government comes we will eliminate terrorism," Kharge said in a feeble voice and briefly stopped following which his aides and others on the stage reached and supported him to sit in a chair.
The veteran leader was checked by doctors at the venue, with Congress leaders saying his health improved after being given medical help.
"I am 83 years old. I am not going to die so early. I will stay alive till PM Modi is removed from power," Kharge said as he resumed his speech. "I wanted to talk. But due to dizziness, I have sat down. Please pardon me." Later, Kharge visited the Kathua district hospital for a checkup and later left for Delhi.
"He suffered syncopal attack (fainting). He was brought here for evaluation. He was facing increased sweating. We conducted basic investigation including ECG. He is found absolutely normal," a doctor told reporters later.
PM Modi spoke to the Congress president to enquire about his health.
The Sunday's rally in the Jasrota belt of Kathua turned out to be Kharge's last election meeting for these Jammu and Kashmir polls.
He had also planned to speak to a rally in Ramnagar in Udhampur but this was also called off with Congress leaders saying "his chopper could not land there, so it landed in Jammu and he returned to Delhi."
In a post on X, his son and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge said, "Congress President Sri @kharge felt slightly unwell while addressing a public meeting in Jasrota, Jammu & Kashmir." "He has been checked upon by his medical team and apart from slightly low blood pressure, he is doing well. Extremely grateful for everyone's concern. His resolve, along with people's good wishes, keeps him going strong, " said Priyank Kharge.
There are injured policemen and one terrorist is reported dead, since Congress president Rahul Gandhi fell sick while talking about eliminating terrorism and was paying tributes to a head constable who was killed in an operation with terrorists in Kathua.
The Jammu and Kashmir Congress vice president, Ravindra Sharma said Kharge was almost brought to tears as he spoke of the courageous martyrs who fell during the terror attack on Saturday.
"His emotions overpowered him for a moment, but he regained his composure to reaffirm again how his party would not let its resolve to root out terrorism from the region waver," Sharma said.
The development smacks of senseless violence, said Sharma. Kharge's emotional response underscores the shock that such violence sends out to the nation and its leadership, he added.
His fast turn from grief to resolve shines emphasis on the determination of the Congress party to find solutions to these persistent security concerns in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
In his speech, Kharge elaborated the role of past Congress prime ministers. "Who freed Bangladesh? Indira Gandhi did it. 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan' slogan was given by us. Pakistan was defeated by us. Lal Bahadur Shastri defeated it. This is the Congress." Sharma said that after completing his address, the Congress president insisted on going to Ramnagar to address the last election rally where thousands of people were waiting.
"… But his helicopter could not land there, so it landed in Jammu, and returned to Delhi," said the chief spokesperson of the JKPCC.
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