Shashi Tharoor Asked About Rahul Gandhi's Foreign Trip. His "Travel Agent" Reply

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has given a pointed response to a question about Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's foreign trip amid the ongoing protests against the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying he is "not a travel agent".

Tharoor was in Kerala when reporters asked him why Gandhi travelled abroad.

Refusing to comment on it, Tharoor said, "I am not a travel agent. There is no point in asking me that question. Why did I leave Delhi and come here now? Every person has certain responsibilities. So, I cannot comment on that."

Rahul Gandhi went on a four-day Vietnam trip amid the ongoing protests, drawing massive criticism from the BJP - which has questioned his foreign visits in the past too and used it during the political conflicts.

According to the BJP, Gandhi went on vacation after getting tired of "shouting lies" during the Delhi protests. The party also shared a video on X purportedly showing Gandhi aboard a flight to Vietnam. "What is the agenda of Rahul Gandhi's foreign tours?" it questioned.

BJP leader Sambit Patra accused Gandhi of allegedly planning a regime change and claimed that he visited abroad to take "classes from George Soros".

"Their master, their kingpin, Rahul Gandhi went abroad to take coaching classes from George Soros and company on how to destroy India, how to bring about a regime change, and where they slipped up... They made every possible effort, but the people of India did not support them. The focus now is on what needs to be done and how to advance this entire agenda, so that India may be left in a state of ruin and a regime change can be brought about here," he said.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned Gandhi if he was going abroad to enjoy a break or meet his "chaos collaborators".

Congress reacts

Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit defended Gandhi, saying he has "duties".

"Do others not travel outside on this day? Rahul Gandhi is an individual, the Leader of the Opposition; he has duties. He interacts with students at Yale University, interacts with students in London, and meets the intellectuals there. He even does press interviews - something which the Prime Minister doesn't do. So, what issue does the BJP have with this?" he said.