BJP and Congress traded fresh barbs after Sambit Patra questioned the funding behind Rahul Gandhi’s overseas visits and linked the issue to tax and FCRA rules.
BJP leader Sambit Patra alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s 54 foreign trips over the years involved expenses of nearly Rs 60 crore. | ANI
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday stepped up its attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, with BJP MP Sambit Patra questioning the funding behind the Leader of Opposition’s foreign visits and alleging that nearly Rs 60 crore had been spent on 54 overseas trips over the last 22 years.
The remarks came amid an escalating political exchange between the BJP and the Congress after Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent public appeals asking citizens to cut down on fuel use, avoid foreign travel for a year, and prioritise Swadeshi products in view of global economic pressures.
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Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Patra claimed that Rahul Gandhi had travelled abroad multiple times while serving in elected office, but details regarding how those trips were financed had never been made public.
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“LoP Rahul Gandhi has been in an elected position for nearly 22 years. In these years, he has travelled abroad multiple times. Officially, the declared foreign trips amount to 54. These tours are public, but their funding is not public,” Patra said.
The BJP leader further alleged that three to four people accompanied Gandhi during each foreign visit and claimed that the total expenditure on those trips stood close to Rs 60 crore.
“On each of his foreign trips, about 3-4 people have travelled with him. The total expense of his foreign trips has been Rs 60 crore,” he alleged.
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP MP Sambit Patra says, “LoP Rahul Gandhi has been in an elected position for nearly 22 years. In these years, he has travelled abroad multiple times. Officially, the declared foreign trips amount to 54… These tours are public, but their funding is not… pic.twitter.com/MphVUL1e6H
— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2026
Patra also referred to what he described as Rahul Gandhi’s income details between 2013-14 and 2022-23, claiming that the Congress MP had declared earnings of around Rs 11 crore during that period.
“We have the details of Rahul Gandhi’s income from 2013-14 to 2022-23. In 10 years, Rahul Gandhi’s income was Rs 11 crore. With an income of Rs 11 crore, Rahul Gandhi has spent Rs 60 crore,” he alleged.
The BJP MP questioned whether the expenses for the foreign trips were borne personally, funded by the Government of India, or supported by foreign entities.
“The question that arises is — when he travels abroad, is the funding being done by the Government of India or by some foreign agency? If there is foreign funding, then provisions under FCRA apply. If it is personal funding, then it must be declared under income tax laws,” Patra said.
The BJP’s remarks followed Rahul Gandhi’s sharp criticism of Prime Minister Modi’s “seven appeals” made during a gathering in Secunderabad, where the Prime Minister urged people to work from home where possible, reduce fuel consumption, avoid unnecessary foreign travel for a year, and adopt Swadeshi products.
He had also appealed to citizens to reduce cooking oil consumption, encourage natural farming, and limit gold purchases to help the country navigate economic challenges linked to global conflicts.
Reacting to the remarks, Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister’s comments reflected governance failures rather than leadership.
“These aren’t sermons — these are proofs of failure,” Gandhi said in a post on X.
The Congress leader also alleged that after “12 years” in power, the government was now telling citizens “what to buy, what not to buy, where to go, where not to go.”
Reiterating his recent “Compromised PM” jibe, Gandhi further claimed that “running the country is no longer within the reach” of the Prime Minister.
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