by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Exclusive report
Rahul Goes on holidays again abroad
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Feb 19
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has embarked again on a week-long holiday abroad again quietly. According to highly placed sources in the Congress, Rahul Gandhi left for Rome and later he may travel to other European countries. However, he has been keeping track of developments and even tweeting as well by keeping himself posted through his back office.
He extended greetings to everyone on the occasion of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti on his twitter handle in Hindi on Wednesday and posted a photo of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
This is second trip abroad in two months this year. Earlier, he had gone on vacation on December 31 to celebrate New Year with his grand-mother and others to Italy and returned to India on January 11. There was some criticism of his foreign visit as the country was in the midst of the protests on the CAA. However, no one in the party is willing to confirm Rahul Gandhi's departure. It is learnt that he may travel to London later.
But no program has been released by the AICC or his office about the plans of his return. Sources in the party say that Congress Interim president Sonia Gandhi has recovered fully from her asthma problems and actively holding meetings with leaders. Earlier in November too, Rahul Gandhi had pushed off to South Korea to meet the Prime Minister as part of his official engagement. But he decided to stay abroad for five more days when the parliament was in session and he absented.
Sources in the security forces guarding him say that he has not informed them about his travel plans this time either. Rahul Gandhi’s foreign visits are a matter of concern to the security forces earlier too. In fact, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is on record in Parliament saying that some SPG protectees had left the SPG cover behind and went to unknown destinations. He was giving reasons for withdrawal of the SPG cover to the Gandhis in this regard. Now the Gandhis have been provided with CRPF cover in collaboration of the Delhi Police. Rahul Gandhi is serving his fourth term as a Lok Sabha MP.
