Rijiju raises concern over alleged undeclared foreign trips of Rahul Gandhi

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday (May 15, 2026) expressed concern over the alleged “undeclared” foreign trips of Leader of the Opposition (Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi and asked him to share details of the travels with the authorities concerned to avoid action for any violation of law.

“Serious questions have been raised regarding Rahul Gandhi. Every Indian must follow the rules and laws, and especially a Member of Parliament must adhere to the rules strictly. The questions raised are serious because if any MP wants to travel abroad, they must inform the Secretariat of the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha three weeks in advance,” he told the reporters.

“Tomorrow, if anything happens, if some actions are initiated, then the government should not be blamed for targeting Rahul ji,” said Mr. Rijiju.

Stating that MPs also have to inform the External Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), he said in case an MP was to accept foreign hospitality and the expenditure was to be borne by the foreign hosts, the parliamentarian was required to inform the MHA under Section 6 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.

Mr. Rijiju said it was a matter of “grave concern” that some of the 54 foreign visits of Mr. Gandhi — undertaken over the past 22 years — had not been declared. He said the security agencies assigned for his protection were also frustrated over such trips.

On Thursday (May 14, 2026), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted Mr. Gandhi over his foreign visits, alleging that the estimated expenses did not match his declared income. The party demanded disclosure of the source of funding for those trips by Mr. Gandhi and the Congress.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that the trips’ estimated cost was nearly ₹60 crore and Mr. Gandhi’s declared income in the past 10 years was about ₹11 crore.

He said under the Representation of the People Act, the Congress should disclose the audited accounts submitted to the Election Commission of India if the party bore the expenses. If the details were disclosed in income tax filings, the record should be made public, he said.

(With PTI inputs)