Rahul Gandhi flies abroad, to skip crucial Congress meet tomorrow
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reportedly left for a brief "personal visit" abroad and is expected to return by Sunday. The trip comes ahead of both the presidential election and the Monsoon Session of the Parliament on Monday (July 18). The party, on the other hand, did not reveal any specifics about Gandhi's trip and described it as "personal."
Why does this story matter?
The BJP has been accusing Gandhi of being a "part-time politician" while criticizing his foreign trips and absence at important events. In May, it slammed Gandhi for partying in Nepal at a time when communal tensions were witnessed in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan on the eve of Eid-al-Fitr. The BJP's Shehzad Poonawalla had earlier even accused him of allegedly partying after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
Gandhi to miss crucial party meet, discussion on internal elections
Gandhi is frequently chastised by the BJP for his numerous trips overseas. This time, he will miss a vital meeting where the preparations for Congress's "Bharat Jodo Yatra" will be discussed on Thursday. Congress will also hold discussions on internal elections for which all general secretaries, in-charges, and PCC presidents have been invited. It is also likely to discuss the party's presidential election.
Congress party's poll debacle
Notably, Congress faced a poll debacle in the recently concluded Assembly elections this year as well as in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi's mother Sonia Gandhi took over as the Congress's interim president after he resigned as its chief following the 2019 poll defeat.
Congress-BJP previously trade barbs over Gandhi's Nepal visit
Gandhi's visit to Nepal in early May sparked outrage as the BJP posted photos of him visiting a Kathmandu nightclub. Congress then hit back at it saying there was nothing wrong with Gandhi's personal visit to a journalist's wedding. Interestingly, Gandhi's trip to Nepal came shortly after the party's dismal show in the 2022 Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and other states.
Controversial Cambridge visit of Gandhi too faced criticism
Gandhi's Nepal visit was not the only trip that sparked a war of words between Congress and the BJP. He traveled overseas again in the latter half of May, which led to the BJP questioning his foreign trip again. The BJP also questioned Gandhi's unwillingness to seek political clearance for his travel to the UK's Cambridge, but Congress claimed no such permission was required.
