New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the BJP made public what it claimed to be Gandhi’s 54 foreign trips undertaken in the past 22 years and said the funding details for these trips have not been made public.
BJP Lok Sabha MP Sambit Patra while addressing a press conference Thursday termed it a matter of transparency and national security.
“Where is India’s Leader of Opposition travelling? Who is he meeting? Who’s funding these trips? He has made 54 foreign trips to countries such as Italy, the UK, the US, Germany, Vietnam, Singapore, Bahrain, the Maldives, Qatar, and the UAE. Most of these trips are on record, with public host pages, press itineraries, parliamentary absence records, and photo evidence. My point is that while these trips were public, the funding trail behind them is not public,” Patra alleged.
This is not the first time the BJP has raised the issue of Gandhi’s foreign trips but this time they questioned the costs and funding.
Citing a trip as an example, the BJP claimed that Gandhi’s 60-day South Asia window through Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia is modelled at Rs 4.5 crore against a sworn annual income of Rs 86.55 lakh.
The Congress reacted sharply to the claims, saying Patra and the BJP were creating diversions. “The real issue is the economic collapse that is staring at the country. The real issue is the setbacks after setbacks on foreign policy… those are the real issues,” said Jairam Ramesh.
He further said India has a compromised Prime Minister and Patra was making claims in a bid to become a minister. “This is a prime minister who is thoroughly exposed domestically and internationally. His claims about being a Vishwa Guru have been completely punctured. He is capitulating to China day in and day out so all this is to take attention away from that. And to talk about Mr Rahul Gandhi’s foreign trips in the past… Mr Patra should find better topics.”
Patra further claimed that between 2004 and 2026, Gandhi made 54 personal foreign trips on which around Rs 60 crore was spent, excluding official government or parliamentary visits. The BJP alleged that despite all this, Gandhi refuses to explain “who funds his luxury global lifestyle”.
“Based on the income details declared by him in Form 26 affidavits from assessment years 2013–14 to 2022–23, his total declared income over 10 years was Rs 11 crore, while the alleged expenditure on foreign trips was Rs 60 crore,” Patra said, adding, Rahul Gandhi’s “declared income stands at a mere Rs 11 crore—a figure five times lower than the expenditure incurred”.
The BJP also posted on X: “Unanswered questions: If the expenditure was funded by foreign sources, where is the requisite FCRA approval? And if it was privately funded, why is it not reflected in his tax returns? While the maintenance of such records is mandatory under the law, their absence raises serious questions”.
In September-October 2025, Rahul Gandhi travelled to South America. A total estimated expenditure of ₹5.5 crore was incurred on these visits. There is no record of who funded these expenses.
In September 2025, one visit was not declared publicly and was undertaken quietly. An… pic.twitter.com/GwsKjdrUdC
— BJP (@BJP4India) May 14, 2026
The BJP further claimed that while the travel trail is public, the money trail is missing: “54 traceable foreign trips across Europe, the US, Middle East and Asia. One 2015 Southeast Asia tour cost Rs 4.5 crore, over 5X his declared annual income that year. Multiple foreign trips flagged by CRPF between 2024–25. Oman trip in May 2026 surfaced with no public itinerary or disclosure. So who paid? Foreign entities? Then where are the FCRA approvals? Personal funds? Then where are the tax and forex disclosures? Someone else? Then the questions become even bigger.”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Rahul Gandhi’s London visit sparks political row. BJP says he flew to Bahrain, not UK