- Rahul Gandhi will visit Berlin from December 15 to 20 during Parliament's Winter Session
- BJP criticised Gandhi for frequent foreign trips, calling him a non-serious politician
- Priyanka Gandhi cited Prime Minister Modi's foreign visits to defend Rahul Gandhi's travel
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, is set to travel to Germany during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The BJP has targeted Gandhi and called him a "Leader of Paryatan" and accused him of neglecting his duties for frequent trips abroad. The Congress has hit back, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visits to foreign countries.
Gandhi will be in Berlin from December 15 to 20 to attend an event of the Indian Overseas Congress. The ongoing Winter Session ends on December 19.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said Gandhi has proved again that LoP means "Leader of Paryatan" (tourism) and "Leader of Partying". "Rahul Gandhi is a non-serious politician. People are in work mode, he is in permanent vacation mode," he said. "Recently, during the Bihar elections, he was on a jungle safari. So his priorities are clear. I don't know, he is going for some reason to Germany. But it might be only to spew venom against India. It is a Bharat Badnami brigade and a Bharat Badnami tour. So he is once again going abroad for his vacation and to defame Bharat," Poonawalla said.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said Gandhi spends time abroad when Parliament is in session and later says he doesn't get a chance to speak. "He is a part-time, non-serious political leader," he said.
Senior Congress leader and Rahul Gandhi's sister Priyanka Gandhi hit back at the BJP's attacks. "(Prime Minister) Modiji spends almost half his working time outside the country. Why are they raising questions on the Leader of the Opposition travelling," she said.
Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, said the BJP and the Prime Minister do not have replies to Rahul Gandhi's questions on alleged poll irregularities. "When the BJP does not have answers to Rahul Gandhi's questions, the only resort is to malign him," he said.
The Indian Overseas Congress has described Rahul Gandhi's trip as a significant outreach initiative aimed at strengthening the party's global engagement.
"We are honoured to welcome Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Member of Parliament, who will be engaging with the Indian diaspora in Berlin on December 17, 2025. The event will bring together all Presidents of the Indian Overseas Congress from across Europe, providing a unique platform to discuss key issues with Shri Rahul Gandhi, particularly on strengthening the Congress Party, NRI issues and further exploring how the IOC can play a pivotal role in connecting more people to the party and spreading its ideology," the Indian Overseas Congress has said in a post on X.
