Sonia witnesses Beating Retreat

NEW DELHI - Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who has recovered from a bout of flu, was among the VVIPs who witnessed the Beating Retreat ceremony at the Vijay Chowk here Saturday.

Sonia sat along with Shahnaz Kapadia, wife of Chief Justice S.H. Kapadia, and other dignitaries.

President Pratibha Patil, accompanied by husband Devisingh Shekhawat, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, along with his wife Gulsharan Kaur, were among the VVIP viewers.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who had cancelled her departure Saturday to Egypt in the wake of the turmoil in that country, was also present at the ceremony.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani was accompanied by his daughter Pratibha Advani.

Sonia Gandhi, who had been suffering from flu for a few days, did not attend the Republic Day parade here Wednesday morning and the president’s “At Home” event in the afternoon that day.