BJP's 'Laapata Rahul' Poster Attack, Congress Says He Gets Many Invites

Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is once again in the BJP's line of fire over his foreign tours. But the criticism has taken a creative turn, with movie posters being altered with the Congress leader's image, and one-liners mocking him.

The BJP asked where Rahul Gandhi is and raised questions over the funding of his innumerable international trips. Hitting back, the Congress has said that Gandhi is a "global leader" and many countries and institutions abroad invite him.

'Missing' Posters And BJP Jibes

Creative one-liners based on popular movie titles, like 'Chhad de India' (leave India) and 'Laapata Rahul' (missing Rahul), dominated the posters shared by the BJP's state units.

Several other posters featured, 'Go Rahul Gone', 'Tourist Zinda Hain', and 'Pardesh'.

"What does Rahul Baba like? Swades (cross sign) Pardesh (tick sign)," asked BJP Delhi. BJP Goa asked, "#WhereIsRahul? Enjoying a vacation in Thailand? Or on a secret trip planning a new propaganda campaign against India?"

The party suggested that his LoP position should be changed to "Leader of Paryatan" (tourism).

"Rahul Gandhi should change his name as a leader of paryatan and partying (LoP). He is just seen doing this only, while our PM is working hard," said BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.

Another spokesperson, RP Singh, asked where Gandhi gets the money to fund his foreign trips.

"According to my information, this is Rahul Gandhi's 55th foreign visit. The last information available in the public domain and in documents was that he had spent more than Rs 60 crore on these trips. He does not show an equivalent amount of income, nor does he pay that much in income tax. Where does this money come from? Who bears these expenses?" he asked

Congress Hits Back

The Congress has slammed the BJP over its attack on Gandhi and claimed that many across the world want to meet him. And since he takes out only a limited time, his trips are small and frequent, suggested Congress leader Salman Khurshid.

"Rahul Gandhi is not just a leader of our country alone. Many across the world consider him a leader. Many people expect him. They want to listen to him, see him, and meet him. Due to these repeated invitations, he is only able to take out very limited time, two days, four days, five days, and then he travels. But one should also understand that not everyone in the world is aligned with the BJP. People see India from different perspectives, and in that perspective, they also see Rahul Gandhi," he said.

Congress MP Manoj Kumar pointed out that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone abroad right after making an appeal to the people not to take foreign trips.

"So, what if Rahul Gandhi has gone on a foreign tour? The prime minister, after making an appeal not to go abroad, himself goes on a foreign tour. Rahul Gandhi is a recognised leader on a global level," he said.