The BJP on Thursday raised questions over Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trips and demanded a “complete disclosure” of sources of their funding, claiming a “clear mismatch” between the Congress leader’s year-on-year annual income and the money allegedly spent on his foreign travel. The Congress hit back, saying the BJP had raised the issue only to “divert attention from the real issues of complete economic collapse under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra raised the matter only to strengthen his claim for a ministerial berth in the next reshuffle of PM Modi’s Council of Ministers, and advised Patra to find “better issues” instead. Party colleague Manickam Tagore said the country wanted answers on jobs, farmers, Manipur, and China and that the BJP should first answer questions on unemployment, inflation, falling consumption, border failures, and the weakening economy.”
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Patra claimed that Gandhi had undertaken 54 foreign trips over the last 22 years and spent nearly Rs 60 crore, which he said was five times more than Gandhi’s earnings during the same period. “While nearly Rs 60 crore was spent on these foreign trips, it does not align with his declared assets and liabilities, which stand at Rs 21 crore,” he said, demanding full disclosure.
The Lok Sabha MP from Puri also alleged that the Congress leader had not disclosed many of his visits abroad, and demanded answers regarding these “mystery trips”.