Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sept 8: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent trip to Malaysia, particularly to the tourist hotspot of Langkawi, has stirred fresh controversy, with BJP leaders mocking the timing of his absence from the country during a crucial phase of Bihar Assembly election campaigning.

BJP veteran Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi led the charge, deriding the visit as yet another chapter in Gandhi’s so-called “political tourism.” “Sometimes his political tourism is domestic, sometimes it takes him abroad. In India, he talks of defused bombs and discarded guns. What he’s doing overseas, only he knows. We wish him well—maybe this trip will bring him some wisdom,” Naqvi quipped sarcastically.

The criticism comes at a time when the Congress, a major partner in the INDI Alliance, is expected to intensify efforts in Bihar ahead of the elections. Gandhi’s absence has raised eyebrows, especially among BJP leaders who have frequently targeted him for what they describe as a pattern of vanishing during politically sensitive moments.

Adding fuel to the fire, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya posted a photograph of Gandhi in casual wear from Malaysia, commenting: “Looks like the heat and dust of Bihar’s politics was too much for the Congress Yuvraj, who had to rush off for a break. Or is it another one of those secret meetings that no one is supposed to know about?”

The Congress, for its part, has maintained that Gandhi’s trip is personal and pre-planned, and that he is entitled to private time. However, the optics of the visit—especially its overlap with the Bihar campaign—have given the BJP an opening to attack.

Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh, an INDI bloc ally, played down the trip, saying it’s a personal matter. “We are neither his PA nor PRO to track his travel plans. And as far as the INDI Alliance is concerned, there are many capable leaders who can handle things in his absence,” he stated, subtly suggesting Gandhi’s presence isn’t essential to the alliance’s functioning.

Rahul Gandhi’s overseas travels have repeatedly attracted political heat in the past—whether for the timing, location, or the speculation surrounding their purpose. While Congress insiders insist this latest visit is strictly personal, the narrative around his “frequent disappearances” continues to haunt the party, especially during critical political junctures.