Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here on Wednesday because of a respiratory infection.

Congress sources said she was fine but the chronic problem of asthma troubled her in extreme weather conditions.

Dr Ajay Swaroop, chairman of the hospital board, said: “Mrs Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to our hospital today. She has been admitted in the department of chest medicine under the care of Dr Arup Basu and his team for observation and treatment of a viral respiratory infection.”

Sonia’s health deteriorated on Tuesday, forcing Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to return to Delhi in the evening, leaving the Uttar Pradesh leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra after walking only 7km in the state.

While Priyanka, who is supposed to look after the Yatra in Uttar Pradesh in her capacity as the general secretary in charge, stayed back in Delhi, Rahul returned to lead the walk from Baghpat on Wednesday morning.

Rahul was present in the Yatra even in the evening but he may come back to Delhi again at night to meet his mother.

Though Sonia didn’t participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Delhi, she was present at the Congress headquarters on the occasion of party’s foundation day on December 28. She also attended the last Parliament session.