A fresh political flashpoint emerged on Tuesday as BJP leader Amit Malviya accused Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, of undertaking undisclosed foreign trips, questioning his frequent absences from public view.
Taking to his X handle, Malviya alleged, “Rahul Gandhi was on a secret foreign holiday just last week. Now, he has flown abroad again — to yet another undisclosed location.” He further questioned the need for these trips, asking, “Why these frequent disappearances? What is so compelling that keeps him away from the country so often? As the Leader of the Opposition, he owes the people of India answers.”
The Congress party was quick to counter the allegation. Party spokesperson Pawan Khera responded sharply on X, stating that Gandhi had traveled to London to attend the graduation ceremony of his niece. “The Prime Minister’s Office is playing its dirty tricks as usual. It knows nothing else apart from these dirty tricks. Mr Rahul Gandhi has gone to London to attend his niece’s graduation ceremony and will be back soon,” Khera clarified.
Rahul Gandhi’s travel history has often been a matter of political debate, with the BJP repeatedly questioning the transparency and timing of his foreign visits. The most recent controversy comes just days after Gandhi was notably absent during Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s visit to the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad. While not physically present, Gandhi expressed condolences online and urged Congress workers to aid relief efforts on the ground.
Despite these allegations, Gandhi has remained vocal on social media. On June 21, he criticized the Modi government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, claiming, “We assemble, import, but don’t build. China profits. Clock is ticking.” He also shared a video from his visit to Delhi’s Nehru Place electronics market, where he interacted with local mobile repair technicians.
The debate underscores the escalating tension between the ruling BJP and the newly positioned opposition bloc, with personal movements and public responsibilities of key leaders becoming political flashpoints.
