As the Bihar Assembly elections intensify, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken a sharp dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent visit to Malaysia. The party also resurfaced a 12-year-old tweet by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, citing it as evidence of ongoing internal confusion within Congress.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, in a post on X, remarked, “Seems the heat and dust of Bihar politics was too much for the Congress Yuvraj, who had to slip away for a break. Or is this yet another one of those secret meetings hidden from public view?” He further added, “While people are grappling with real issues, Rahul Gandhi is busy mastering the art of vanishing and vacationing,” while sharing a picture of Gandhi.
Malviya also referenced a tweet from the Prime Minister’s Office in 2013, which read: “I would be happy to work for the Congress party under the leadership of Mr Rahul Gandhi – PM.” He suggested that this highlighted the Congress-led UPA government’s failures and internal confusion at the time, contrasting it with the present situation.
Rahul Gandhi, along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, recently concluded a two-week Voter Adhikar Yatra in Bihar. During the campaign, they criticized the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, calling it “undemocratic” and biased for potential “vote theft.”
The BJP has frequently raised concerns about Gandhi’s foreign trips during key political events or parliamentary sessions. Earlier this year, Ravi Shankar Prasad pointed to Gandhi’s trips to Vietnam during Holi and New Year, questioning his preference for foreign travel over attending to constituency responsibilities. Malviya echoed these concerns, saying Gandhi’s “numerous clandestine trips abroad” could raise questions about propriety and national security.
Gandhi’s previous trips, including a visit to Vietnam during the mourning period following Manmohan Singh’s death, also drew criticism. The BJP accused him of using Singh’s passing for political expediency while being away from India during a sensitive period.
With the Bihar polls nearing, the BJP has kept its spotlight on Gandhi’s foreign trips and Congress’s past record, portraying them as diversions from key local and national concerns.
