Posters declaring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as missing have surfaced across various parts of the national capital, Delhi. This development has triggered a sharp political reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has intensified its criticism of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) regarding his frequent foreign travels. The BJP has often targeted Rahul Gandhi for his alleged absence during crucial political and parliamentary sessions, and these posters have provided fresh ammunition for their verbal attacks. The appearance of these posters in public spaces has brought the debate over the Congress leader's presence in the country back into the spotlight.
BJP Labels Rahul Gandhi as Leader of Tourism
Reacting to the appearance of these posters, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took to the social media platform X to launch a scathing attack on the Congress leader. " The BJP spokesperson alleged that whenever the country or the Parliament requires the presence of the Leader of the Opposition, he's found to be absent, often traveling abroad for personal reasons, while the BJP has consistently used the term Leader of Tourism to describe Gandhi, suggesting that his political commitments are secondary to his travel interests.
Comparison with PM Modi's Working Record
In another post on X, Shehzad Poonawalla drew a stark comparison between the working styles of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Poonawalla highlighted that PM Modi has spent approximately 9000 days in public service as a Chief Minister and Prime Minister without taking a single day of leave. He stated, "Prime Minister Modi is always busy with work, while he has spent nearly 9000 days as CM and PM without taking a holiday. On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi is always in a holiday mood, while he spends crores of rupees on vacations every year. " This comparison aims to highlight what the BJP describes as a lack of dedication on the part of the Congress leader.
Prioritizing Tourism Over National Duty
Earlier on Friday, in a video message, Shehzad Poonawalla further alleged that Rahul Gandhi consistently fails to show up during significant political and parliamentary occasions. He suggested that the title of LoP (Leader of Opposition) should be changed to "Leader of Paryatan and Partying" because, according to him, that's what the Congress leader prioritizes. Poonawalla emphasized that while PM Modi has become the longest-serving elected head of government in India and has not taken a day off in 9000 days, Rahul Gandhi remains on perpetual vacation. He claimed that Gandhi doesn't prioritize the people, the Parliament, or his own party, but instead chooses tourism as his primary focus.
Questions Over Funding of Foreign Trips
The BJP spokesperson also raised questions regarding the financial aspects of Rahul Gandhi's frequent international travels. Poonawalla claimed that Rahul Gandhi has spent crores of rupees on his holidays but has failed to provide any account of how this money was spent on foreign trips and leisure. He noted that Rahul Gandhi has once again gone abroad and will be absent when the Parliament, the party, and the people need him the most, while the BJP continues to demand transparency regarding these trips, asserting that the Leader of the Opposition should be more accountable to the public regarding his whereabouts and the funding of his travels. The party maintains that a leader in such a significant position should be present to address national issues rather than being MIA.