New Delhi: As she turned 69, Congress President Sonia Gandhi was on Wednesday greeted by friends and political rivals including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sent her a bouquet as also a letter.
"On her birthday, greetings to Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi. May Almighty bless her with long life & good health," Modi tweeted.
Party sources said that the Prime Minister also sent a bouquet and a letter.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu too telephoned her to wish her a long life and good health.
The greetings from the government leaders came even as the Congress party and the government were locked in a bitter fight with the Opposition alleging "political vendetta" after Sonia and her son Rahul were summoned by a court in the National Herald case.
Among the Opposition leaders who called on her included Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as also NCP chief Sharad Pawar.
Pawar was accompanied by party leader Praful Patel and his MP daughter Supriya Sule.
Banerjee, whose party had supported the Congress in Parliament against alleged repression by government, steered clear of questions on the issue, merely saying she had come to greet Gandhi on her birthday.
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who is a known supporter of Gandhi for long, and BSP chief Mayawati telephoned her to extend their greetings.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari also greeted her over phone.
A host of party leaders including CWC members and party veterans met her at the 10 Janpath residence in the morning before she came to Parliament to participate in the Lok Sabha proceedings. In Parliament too, a number of leaders and members from diverse parties greeted her.
There was celebratory mood outside her residence with a large number of her supporters and well wishers dancing to the tune of music.
