Congress Alleges BJP Using Rahul Gandhi Row to Deflect from Economic Crisis, Policy Failures

The Congress on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to divert public attention from major national issues by raising questions over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits. The remarks came after BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra demanded disclosure of the funding sources behind Gandhi’s overseas travel, alleging a mismatch between his declared income and the expenditure incurred on those trips. The political exchange triggered a fresh war of words between the ruling party and the opposition over transparency, governance, and the state of the economy.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh dismissed the BJP’s allegations as a distraction tactic aimed at shifting focus away from economic and foreign policy concerns facing the country. Speaking to reporters, Ramesh said the government should address issues such as economic slowdown and diplomatic setbacks instead of targeting Rahul Gandhi’s personal travel history. He also suggested that Sambit Patra was raising the issue to strengthen his prospects for a ministerial role and advised him to focus on more substantive matters affecting the nation.

Ramesh further launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him a “compromised PM” who, according to the Congress leader, has lost credibility both domestically and internationally. He alleged that Modi’s image as a global leader and “Vishwaguru” had weakened due to policy failures and accused the government of capitulating to China on strategic issues. According to Ramesh, the BJP was deliberately bringing up Rahul Gandhi’s foreign travel to divert attention from questions surrounding inflation, unemployment, and India’s external relations under the current administration.

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Congress MP Manickam Tagore also joined the criticism and accused the BJP of running a “smear campaign” against Rahul Gandhi whenever difficult questions are raised about governance. In a post on social media platform X, Tagore said the public was more concerned about unemployment, inflation, the condition of farmers, the ongoing situation in Manipur, and border-related tensions with China. He questioned whether the BJP would similarly disclose details regarding Prime Minister Modi’s foreign trips, including aircraft expenses, delegations, and event management costs incurred over the last decade.

The BJP, however, intensified its attack during a press conference held at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Sambit Patra claimed that Rahul Gandhi had undertaken 54 foreign trips over the past 22 years, allegedly spending nearly ₹60 crore during that period. Patra argued that Gandhi’s declared annual income over the last decade, as mentioned in election affidavits, did not appear consistent with such expenditure. He also referred to Gandhi’s declared assets, claiming they rose from ₹55.38 lakh in 2004 to over ₹20 crore in 2024, and demanded clarity on the source of funds used for the overseas visits.

Patra further alleged that some of Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits were not publicly disclosed and described them as “mystery trips” requiring explanation from the Congress leader. The BJP MP from Odisha’s Puri constituency maintained that the opposition leader should provide complete transparency regarding his travel expenses and financial declarations. The Congress, meanwhile, continued to reject the allegations and accused the BJP of using political attacks to overshadow pressing governance issues. The exchange marks another escalation in the increasingly confrontational political discourse ahead of upcoming electoral battles and parliamentary sessions.

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