'Videsh nayak': BJP takes dig at 'paryatan leader' Rahul Gandhi; Congress leader to be in Germany from Dec 15–20

NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP on Wednesday labelled Congress MP Rahul Gandhi “Videsh Nayak” and “leader of paryatan” ahead of his upcoming visit to Germany from December 15 to 20.BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla — a former Congress member — also noted that the trip will coincide with the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 1 and is scheduled to conclude on December 19.“Once again, Videsh Nayak is doing what he does best — going on a foreign tour! Parliament is on till 19th Dec, but Rahul Gandhi will visit Germany from Dec 15–20! Rahul is LoP — leader of paryatan. During the Bihar elections, too, he was abroad and then on a jungle safari,” Poonawalla wrote on X.

The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) announced on Monday that Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, will visit Germany.

A day later, the IOC said that on December 17, the former Congress president will meet German lawmakers and members of the Indian community in Berlin, the European nation’s capital and largest city.

During his overseas visits — first as an MP and now in his official capacity as leader of the opposition — the Raebareli MP has repeatedly raised concerns about what he describes as the ‘weakening’ of India’s democracy and the ‘capture’ of its institutions by the BJP.

In September, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which provides him security, flagged repeated ‘lapses’ by Gandhi in following security protocols — including intentionally skipping mandatory protective measures on multiple occasions despite being a Z+ protectee with an Advance Security Liaison (ASL) team.