Rahul Gandhi Vietnam row: BJP mocks LoP with in-flight video, Congress hits back
Congress has defended Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trip, saying he is free to travel wherever he wants during his personal time.
PTC News Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his Vietnam trip amid ongoing protests by the Congress over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
“I'm tired of spreading lies... Let me go roam around Vietnam for a few days... Who would even find out!” the BJP wrote in its post.
Meanwhile, the Congress has defended Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trip, saying he is free to travel wherever he wants during his personal time.
The trip comes after Gandhi took part in the Congress’s Goy Rakhon Yatra, or Save Goa March, in Goa, where he walked around two kilometres with party leaders. Assembly elections in the state are scheduled for next year.
The BJP’s criticism also comes as the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties are protesting against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral malpractice.
On October 12, Congress and other INDIA bloc leaders held a ‘March for Democracy’ rally to the Supreme Court and submitted a petition related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have also organised several protests over alleged irregularities in the voter list revision process.
Responding to the BJP’s criticism, Congress leader Dikshit compared Rahul Gandhi’s interactions with the media to those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Rahul Gandhi speaks to the press. Does our Prime Minister do that?” he asked.
Dikshit also criticised Prime Minister Modi over his foreign visit during last year’s Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Sandeep Dikshit, chairperson of Rachnatmak Congress, said Gandhi had a personal life alongside his responsibilities as the Leader of the Opposition. He added that Gandhi made productive use of his visits abroad.
"Rahul Gandhi has a personal life. Besides, he has his own responsibilities as the Leader of the Opposition. Every time he goes, he does something productive. Sometimes, he meets students of Yale University; sometimes he meets intellectuals. He always does something that benefits the country," Dikshit said.