Rahul Gandhi spotted tying shoe laces of his mother Sonia Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra

Rahul Gandhi bends to tie the shoelaces of his mother and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and minutes later, abruptly stops the yatra to ask her to stop walking and get into a car after he found her in discomfort -- a photograph and a short visual marked Sonia Gandhi's first public programme on Thursday in years.

People had started gathering at Jakkanahalli, Nyamanahalli and Bellale localities in Mandya district from 7 AM, anticipating that they may get a glance of the national leader.

Sonia and Rahul, who were in a private resort in Kabani, flew in by a helicopter and reached Nyamanahalli where arrangements were made for Sonia to take rest before joining the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

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With ‘Sonia Gandhi Zindabad’ slogans, a number of women and children greeted her as she came out of the compound to join the yatra. Minutes later, she drove to the yatra site.

At some moments, Rahul was seen with his protective arm wrapped around his mother, who contracted Covid-19 at least thrice and was abroad for medical checkup recently.

"We have sailed through storms in the past and today too we will break the limits of all challenges and will together unite India," Rahul tweeted with a photograph of him walking with his mother, his arm around her.

Posting a picture of the mother and son, Congress also tweeted, “those shielded by love fear nothing! On the road, marching ahead".

One of the images that went viral on social media was Rahul bending to tie Sonia’s shoe laces. He had done the same for a girl while on yatra in Kerala recently.

Shashi Tharoor, who is in the race for Congress president, tweeted, “there are blessings even when she breathes, no one can replace a mother as mothers are mothers."