"Congress in phase of extinction, why would he give up pleasure of foreign trips?": Sanjay Jaiswal's jibe at Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi [India], December 10 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sanjay Jaiswal on Wednesday took a jibe at Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi ahead of his Germany trip, saying that he would not give up the pleasure of going on foreign trips since his party was in the phase of extinction.
"Bihar elections were going on, and he (Rahul Gandhi) was roaming around somewhere; today too, he is going to Europe, but there's nothing left in Congress now. Congress is in the phase of extinction, so why would he give up the pleasure of his foreign trips?" Jaiswal told ANI.
Responding to allegations levelled by Gandhi regarding the Election Commission of India "colluding with the BJP", Jaiswal suggested that the LoP and Congress "look within themselves" instead of making accusations.
"It's good that he (Rahul Gandhi) keeps making accusations because if he understands the truth, he will try to fix it. So, let him keep blaming the EVM and the Election Commission like this and not look within themselves-what could be better for us than this," Jaiswal said.
BJP leaders have attacked Rahul Gandhi, with Union Minister Pralhad Joshi calling Rahul Gandhi a "part-time" political leader.
"Rahul Gandhi always spends most of his time abroad whenever Parliament is in session and later says that he doesn't get a chance to speak. Even during the Bihar elections, he was abroad. He is a part-time, not serious political leader," Joshi told reporters here.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi took a dig at the BJP for criticising Rahul Gandhi's upcoming Germany visit amid the winter session of Parliament, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spends half of his working time outside the country.
"Modi spends almost half his working time outside the country. Why are they raising questions about the Leader of the Opposition travelling?" Gandhi told reporters here.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's upcoming visit to Berlin has sparked a fresh political storm, with the BJP slamming him for going abroad even as the Lok Sabha continues its crucial winter session.
Gandhi is scheduled to attend a major Indian Overseas Congress event in Berlin on December 17, where he will meet IOC leaders from across Europe.
Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) has described the visit as a significant outreach initiative aimed at strengthening the party's global engagement. The IOC announced that Rahul Gandhi will address the Indian diaspora in Berlin on December 17, where Presidents of IOC chapters across Europe will gather to discuss NRI issues, the Congress Party strengthening, and strategies to expand the party's ideological reach.
Ausaf Khan, President of IOC Austria, said the organisation is "honoured" to host Gandhi, noting the presence of senior leaders such as Sam Pitroda and Arathi Krishna.