Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in India’s Lok Sabha, has sparked some political drama with his ongoing tour of South America. The BJP slammed the trip on Tuesday, pointing fingers at what they call excessive secrecy around it. But opposition parties quickly rallied to his side, brushing off the criticism as nothing more than election-season mudslinging.
BJP leader Tuhin Sinha led the charge, raising eyebrows about why Gandhi jetted off to South America during Navratri celebrations back home. Talking to reporters, Sinha said, “Rahul Gandhi is a strange leader who travels all the way to South America to observe Navratri instead of joining the pujas in the country. If it’s an official visit like Congress claims, why the big secret? Where’s the itinerary?”
The opposition didn’t hold back. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi shot down the idea that Gandhi is “missing,” calling it a twisted BJP narrative. “It’s wrong to say he’s missing,” she told . “Congress already confirmed he’s in South America meeting people. This just creates confusion for the public.”
Congress leader Rajesh Thakur jumped in too, drawing a sharp contrast with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Rahul Gandhi isn’t like the PM, who’s always chasing elections and photo ops,” Thakur said. “He’s out there talking to Indian students and citizens abroad in real conversations. The BJP’s jittery because their own leaders—like Dilip Jaiswal, Sanjay Jaiswal, and Ashok Choudhary—are facing heat. They’re just trying to distract everyone by picking on Rahul Gandhi.”
CPI(M) leader Hannan Mollah called the BJP’s jabs “foolish” and unrelated to the upcoming Bihar polls. “Rahul Gandhi spent ages on the Bihar Yatra, highlighting vote rigging and Nitish Kumar’s government’s flops,” Mollah noted. “No one should take this BJP nonsense seriously—it’s idiotic.”
Even RLD leader Malook Nagar chimed in with a mild caution. “With elections around the corner, leaders heading abroad need to think about how it looks for the alliance,” he said. “Congress is the big player, and Rahul Gandhi’s their top guy, so these calls matter.”
So, what’s the tour really about? Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera announced it on X over the weekend, saying Gandhi is connecting with political leaders, university students, and business folks across four South American countries. It’s his first overseas trip this September, aimed at boosting India’s democratic, trade, and strategic links with the region.
The party says it builds on long-standing India-South America ties and shows solidarity with Global South nations. In Brazil and Colombia, expect Gandhi to chat with students, meet presidents, and huddle with top officials on strengthening democracy and partnerships. He’ll also talk business opportunities as India looks to expand trade amid U.S. tariff pressures.
This South America tour has opposition leaders standing firm against BJP criticism, highlighting Rahul Gandhi’s push for global connections while Bihar elections loom.
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