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Updated: Jun 10, 2019 19:45 IST

It was an emotional meeting for 72-year-old Vavathil Rajamma, a former nurse at the Holy Family Hospital in New Delhi. Her eyes welled up with tears as Congress president Rahul Gandhi hugged her. It was a reunion after 49 years, she was the delivery nurse at the hospital on June 19, 1970 when Rahul Gandhi was born.

“I was lucky to see the cute baby again. Those years are still fresh in my mind. In the labour room, I was first to receive the baby. I never thought I would see him again,” she said.

Rajamma wanted to meet Rahul Gandhi when he got to know that the Congress chief was in Wayanad. “He enquired about my health. He asked me to call him if neeed. It is one of the happiest days in my life,” she said after meeting him at the guest house. She gifted Rahul Gandhi home-made jackfruit chips and sweets and he promised to meet her again.

Rajamma recalled the day Rahul Gandhi was born. “His father Rajiv Gandhi and uncle Sanjay were waiting outside the labour room. We were quite thrilled to see the grandson of the Prime Minister. Soon after the delivery, Indira Gandhi also rushed to the hospital and spent time,” she recalled. Rajamma was a 23-year-old trainee nurse then. “He is down to earth and has charisma and I am sure he will win over masses one day,” she said.

Ramesh Chennithala, the leader of opposition in Kerala assemby, tweeted pictures of the meeting. Chennithala is accompanying Rahul Gandhi on his road shows in Wayanad.

The hands that received little Rahul five decades back embraced him again today.Rajamma was working as nurse at Delhi HolyCross hospital during 1970s, when Rahulji was born. #RahulInWayanad#lullabyOfLove pic.twitter.com/tr6uXCvp98 — Ramesh Chennithala (@chennithala) 9 June 2019

Rajamma hit the news in May this year when a controversy erupted over Rahul Gandhi’s citizenship. She came on record saying that nobody can contest his citizenship as she remembered birth details of the baby in hospital register. Later the Holy Family Hospital also released the records.

After leaving the Holy Family Hospital, Rajamma she joined the military nursing service. She took voluntary retirement in 1987 and returned to Kerala to settle at her native village near Sultan Bathery in Wayanad.

Rahul Gandhi concluded his three-day thanksgiving trip in his constituency Wayanad on Sunday. The Congress chief has won from the seat by over 4 lakh votes defeating P P Suneer of CPI. Though Congress leaders expected some grand announcement, he more or less stuck to thanking the voters.