P Chidambaram faints at Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat, rushed to hospital (WATCH)

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram collapsed due to extreme heat during a solemn prayer meet at the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention, where doctors later confirmed that his condition is stable.

Chidambaram was attending a prayer gathering held by the Congress party as part of a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. The event saw the presence of top party leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and AICC general secretary KC Venugopal. The prayer meet was conducted in the open amid soaring temperatures, with Ahmedabad experiencing a heatwave and temperatures touching 42°C.

Eyewitnesses said Chidambaram fainted during the event, presumably due to prolonged exposure to the sun and intense heat. He had arrived in Ahmedabad earlier in the day to participate in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting and the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session.

The incident has drawn attention to the extreme weather conditions in Gujarat, where several regions are grappling with severe heatwaves. Medical teams at the hospital said Chidambaram was dehydrated and fatigued but responding well to treatment.

Later in the evening, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, accompanied by Mallikarjun Kharge, visited the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Memorial in Shahibaug around 11:30 pm. They paid floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel as part of their visit to the city.

The Congress leadership’s visit to Ahmedabad marks a significant moment in the party’s ongoing organisational activities, but it also underscored the risks posed by extreme weather during public events.