The upcoming visit to Germany of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has started a new bout of political talks with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) mocking him as the “leader of Paryatan (tourism)”. Hitting back, the Congress wondered why the saffron camp was fussing over Rahul’s visit when Prime Minister Modi “spends almost half his working time abroad.” Rahul Gandhi will visit Germany from December 15 to 20, during which he will interact with the Indian diaspora and meet German ministers, according to the Indian Overseas Congress. Indian Overseas Congress Germany President Balwinder Singh said that Rahul Gandhi will be accompanied by Indian Overseas Congress President Sam Pitroda during the five-day trip. “Again, Videsh Nayak doing what he does best! Going for a foreign tour! Parliament is in session till December 19, but reports suggest that Rahul Gandhi will visit Germany from December 15-20. Rahul is LoP – leader of paryatan,” BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said in a post on X. December 19. “During Bihar elections, he was also abroad and then went on a jungle safari,” said the BJP spokesperson. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was among the Congress leaders who hit back at the BJP for its criticism of Rahul Gandhi over his visit. The Wayanad MP asked why the BJP leaders were raising questions about the Leader of the Opposition when Prime Minister Narendra Modi “spends almost half of his working time outside the country”. “Modi ji spends almost half of his working time outside the country… Why are they raising questions about the Leader of the Opposition (in Lok Sabha) traveling?” she told reporters. ‘Sansad Chale Desh Mein’ The Congress also released a list of PM Modi’s overseas visits, claiming that they coincided with the Parliament sessions and when the country was going through a crisis. The list was captioned “Sansad Chale Desh Mein, Modi Chale Videsh Mein” on the official X handle of the Congress. Congress spokesperson and head of social media department Supriya Shrinate said in a post that Narendra Modi has gone on 94 international trips and 85 percent of his foreign tours are during Parliament sessions. Listing PM Modi’s foreign tours during Parliament sessions, she said, in August 2014 (Monsoon Session), he went to Nepal on August 3-4, 2014. During March 2015 (budget session) he went to Seychelles, Mauritius, Sri Lanka from 10 to 14 March 2015, and in the Winter session from 3 November, and in the Winter session from 3 November. Shrinate also said that during the Pulwama attack (February 2019), PM Modi continued to shoot a documentary at Corbett despite learning about the attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives on February 14, 2019 and soon after he went to South Korea. “During the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown (March 2020), he attended the Australia-India Business Forum in Sydney (February 22-24, 2020) despite the first case of COVID being reported in India in January 2020. The BJP responded by saying the opposition party should not compare the Prime Minister’s official visit of Rahul and Gshi with the official visit of various countries “foreign, unknown, invisible and suspicious individuals” during his personal visits abroad ‘I want to ask the Congress about the real game’ There is a clear difference between the Prime Minister’s “official foreign visit on duty” and Rahul Gandhi’s “foreign visit on vacation”, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said about the match. What actually happens during such foreign visits?” he asked. At a press conference at the BJP headquarters, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha claimed that the route of Rahul’s “official or unofficial” trips is not shared when he goes abroad. Modi ji spends almost half of his working time outside the country… Why are they raising questions about the trip of Sinha about the leader of Rahulling? paryatan” (leader of tourism) and “leader of parties”. He does not appear to be the LoP as he embarks on foreign visits by skipping “important events” in the country, Sinha charged, adding that the Congress leader should have been here during the Parliament session. (With agency input)