BJP leader Amit Malviya has claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been going on secret foreign holidays, and as the Leader of Opposition (LoP), he needs to answer the people of the country. In a post on his X handle on Tuesday, Malviya shared the information that Rahul Gandhi was on a secret foreign holiday last week and has again gone abroad.
“Rahul Gandhi was on a secret foreign holiday just last week. Now, he has flown abroad again — to yet another undisclosed location,” wrote Malviya. He also raised questions about these ‘secret visits’ and demanded that, as LoP, the Congress leader needs to answer them.
“Why these frequent disappearances? What is so compelling that keeps him away from the country so often? As the Leader of the Opposition, he owes the people of India answers,” Malviya further said in his post.
The Congress was quick to debunk the claims of the BJP leader and accused the PMO of playing tricks. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera posted on his X handle that Rahul Gandhi has gone to London to attend his niece’s graduation ceremony.
“The Prime Minister’s Office is playing its dirty tricks as usual. It knows nothing else apart from these dirty tricks. Mr Rahul Gandhi has gone to London to attend his niece’s graduation ceremony and will be back soon,” Khera wrote on X.
Questions about Rahul Gandhi’s frequent foreign travels have always been raised. Recently, when Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge went to the Air India plane crash site in Ahmedabad, Rahul Gandhi’s absence raised eyebrows. Gandhi, however, had posted on X expressing grief and calling it heartbreaking.
He had also called upon the Congress workers to do everything they could to help on the ground. He was later seen on the day when his mother, Sonia Gandhi, was discharged from the hospital in the national capital on June 19, where she had been admitted on June 15.
A photograph showed him holding gifts as it was his birthday with his mother and other hospital staff. Even as Malviya, the BJP’s In-charge of its National Information and Technology Dept, pointed out Rahul Gandhi’s intermittent absence and foreign jaunts, the latter has been active on his social media handles.
A History Of Unannounced Travels
Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trips have frequently been criticized for their lack of transparency, often coinciding with significant political or party events in India. Social media platforms, particularly X, are abuzz with questions about his latest Doha-Cairo trip, with users echoing sentiments like, “How are his foreign travels always clandestine and suspicious?”
Below is an updated compilation of notable instances of Gandhi’s unannounced or minimally disclosed foreign trips.
March 2025: Secret Private Trip to Vietnam during Budget session
Rahul Gandhi’s trip to Vietnam came amid 2025 Budget session. The details of this trip remains hidden from the public. Many speculate that Rahul Gandhi’s frequents Vietnam as there are many entities linked to notorious anarchist George Soros there.
December 2024: Another Private Trip to Vietnam when nation was mourning Manmohan Singh’s death
Gandhi embarked on a “private” trip to Vietnam, which was not publicly announced in advance. The Congress leader left for New Year’s celebrations when the “country was mourning Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s demise. The lack of details about his activities or return date drew criticism, especially given the Congress party’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its opposition stance ahead of the 2025 political calendar.
December 2023: Spotted on SpiceJet Flight to Dubai
Gandhi was reportedly seen boarding a SpiceJet flight to Dubai, with no prior announcement from the Congress party. The trip’s purpose remained undisclosed, prompting questions about its timing amid state election campaigns.
December 2022: Bharat Jodo Yatra Paused, Whereabouts Unknown
During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the march was halted for nine days in December 2022. Gandhi’s whereabouts during this period were not disclosed, leading to speculation about a possible foreign trip.
December 2021: Personal Trip to Italy via Doha, Qatar
Gandhi traveled to Italy via Doha on December 29, 2021, reportedly to visit family, skipping election rallies in Punjab ahead of the 2022 state elections. The Congress party confirmed the “personal” nature of the trip but provided no further details, drawing criticism for his absence during a critical campaign period.
December 2020: Personal Trip to Italy
Gandhi undertook a “personal trip” to Italy to visit his grandmother, skipping the Congress party’s Foundation Day celebrations. The unannounced departure was seen as a missed opportunity to rally party workers, prompting backlash from opponents.
October 2023: Mysterious Trip to Uzbekistan
Gandhi’s “mysterious trip” to Uzbekistan was highlighted by critics for its lack of transparency. Unverified reports suggested meetings with unspecified individuals, though no concrete evidence supported claims of controversial engagements.
2015–2018: Frequent Personal Trips
Gandhi’s travels during this period included Turkey (June 2016, for his birthday), Italy (2017, to visit his grandmother), and multiple trips to Europe and the US for personal and party-related engagements.
February–April 2015: South-East Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam)
Gandhi was absent from India for nearly 60 days, visiting Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. He reportedly attended a meditation course in Myanmar, raising concerns about his prolonged absence during a politically active period.
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