Bihar Election 2025: The BJP has questioned Rahul Gandhi's sudden departure for a four-nation trip to South America and the secrecy surrounding his schedule. The opposition has dismissed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
Patna: With just days left for the announcement of the Bihar Assembly elections, Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has embarked on a trip to South America. Why did Rahul Gandhi leave the heat of Bihar and head to South America just before the elections? On Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) questioned his trip, claiming that Rahul Gandhi was “missing.” The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of maintaining excessive secrecy regarding his trip. However, opposition parties have defended Rahul Gandhi, calling the BJP’s allegations politically motivated and baseless. According to the Congress, Rahul Gandhi will meet leaders, university students, and members of the business community in the four countries during his trip.
BJP leader Tuhin Sinha questioned the purpose and secrecy of Rahul Gandhi’s visit. He said, “Rahul Gandhi is a strange leader. He travels to South America to celebrate Navratri instead of participating in the Navratri pujas taking place in the country. If this trip is indeed an official visit, as Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has claimed, then why the need for so much secrecy? Why hasn’t he shared his South America itinerary yet?”
Calling Rahul Gandhi ‘missing’ will create a false impression
The opposition immediately reacted to these comments by the BJP and defended the opposition leader. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi rejected the BJP’s claim that Rahul Gandhi is ‘missing.’ She said, “I think it’s wrong to say he’s missing. It’s not right to use the BJP’s narrative on this issue. The Congress has confirmed through its official spokesperson that he is meeting people in South America. Calling him missing will only create a false impression among the public.” Congress leader Rajesh Thakur also defended Rahul Gandhi’s visit. He compared his actions to those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajesh Thakur said, “He is not shameless like the Prime Minister, who is always focused on elections. Rahul Gandhi goes abroad to meet students and citizens of the country. He engages in meaningful conversations. This is not like Modi, who rushes to election sites for photo ops. BJP leaders are nervous. Their own members, Dilip Jaiswal, Sanjay Jaiswal, and Ashok Chaudhary, are under investigation. Their secrets are being exposed. Therefore, they are trying to divert attention by targeting Rahul Gandhi.”
CPI-M called BJP’s comments foolish
CPI-M leader Hannan Mollah called the BJP’s comments “foolish.” He said, “Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trip has nothing to do with the Bihar elections. He has been touring Bihar for a long time. He raised important issues like vote rigging and the Nitish Kumar government’s failures. I don’t think the BJP’s criticism should be taken seriously. Those comments are foolish.” Hannan Mollah completely rejected the BJP’s allegations.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RLD) leader Maluk Nagar also reacted to the issue. He said, “When elections are near and leaders travel abroad, they should consider how it affects the perception of the alliance. Congress is the largest party. Rahul Gandhi is its biggest leader. Therefore, these decisions should be carefully considered.” Maluk Nagar questioned the timing of Rahul Gandhi’s trip, but also acknowledged the importance of the Congress and Rahul Gandhi.
Rahul Gandhi’s trip to South America was announced on Saturday by Pawan Khera, head of the Congress’s media and publicity department. However, he did not disclose the specific countries Rahul Gandhi will visit.
Rahul will meet leaders, students, and business communities in four countries.
Pawan Khera posted on X: “Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has embarked on a trip to South America. He will interact with leaders, university students, and members of the business community in four countries.” According to the Congress, this is Rahul Gandhi’s first foreign trip in September. The trip aims to deepen democratic, trade, and strategic ties. It builds on historic India-South America cooperation. It also strengthens solidarity among countries in the Global South.
During his visit to Brazil and Colombia, Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet university students. He will also hold discussions with presidents and senior leaders to strengthen democratic and strategic ties. The party also stated that Gandhi will interact with business communities to explore new opportunities. This is especially important as India seeks to diversify trade and partnerships amid US tariffs.
(Input from IANS)
Curated by: Suryakant Pathak
About the Author
Suryakant Pathak is a consultant at Navbharat Times Online. He has been a journalist for 31 years. He writes news, analysis, and blogs on India’s international relations and political and social developments in India and the world. He began his career as a reporter at Dainik Bhaskar in 1995.
Courtesy: Hindi News