Congress defends Rahul Gandhi's 'personal' abroad visit, asks BJP not to spread rumours

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi jets off abroad, party's senior leader Randeep Surjewala has slammed the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) accusing it of spreading 'rumours unnecessarily'. Surjewala also informed that the Wayanad MP is on 'brief personal visit'. Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has jetted off to Italy to ring in New Year 2022, sources told Republic Media Network on Wednesday. 

'BJP and its media friends should not spread rumours unnecessarily,' says Congress on Rahul Gandhi's abroad visit:

Rahul Gandhi's abroad tours

The Wayanad MP's visit comes just a month after his return from foreign shores post a long break ahead of the Winter Session of the Parliament. It is important to mention that Italy is also witnessing a surge of COVID-19 cases and a looming threat related to the Omicron variant. 

Ahead of Diwali this year, Rahul Gandhi had flown to the United Kingdom to spend the holiday season in London. Even amid the fierce Centre-Farmer face-off over the three Farm Laws in December 2020, Gandhi had left for Milan, his absence coming at a critical juncture for Congress ahead of its presidential elections, which were ultimately never held. Congress had issued a statement on the Gandhi scion's absence clarifying that he has gone abroad on a 'short personal trip' for a few days.

Interestingly, ever since Rahul Gandhi's 55-day vacation in 2015, shortly long after the Congress party's election drubbing in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, his foreign visits have been the subject of political scrutiny. Gandhi had also conspicuously flown off to Bangkok in October 2019, at a time when Congress was split into two camps ahead of the Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly polls. Days later, he had undertaken a 'meditational visit' when the party was scheduled to hold 35 press conferences and protests between November 1 and November 15, 2019, against the PM Modi government. 

Rahul Gandhi to return as Congress Chief?

The Congress leader's foreign visits come even as the post of the Congress President stays clouded in uncertainty after his resignation, which came in the aftermath of the party's dismal performance in the 2019 General Elections. After he stepped down, Sonia Gandhi assumed charge as the interim President in August of the same year. Since then, there have been reports of Congress holding elections for the post.