Rahul Gandhi visited Vietnam to study its economic model: Congress' Harish Rawat

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi with senior Congress leader Harish Rawat. (File Photo: X/Harish Rawat)

The Congress party on Monday finally broke its silence over the controversy on party MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's visit to Vietnam during the seven-day mourning period declared by the Centre following the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat defended Rahul's visit to Vietnam and said that the party leader was visiting the Southeast Asian country "to study its economic model".

"I believe he has gone to Vietnam to study its economy and social system that are currently a model. He has gone there to study their economic model...If after a difficult and busy election year, he, as an individual, takes some time out for himself, then why is the BJP trying to look for a political twist in it?" Rawat told news agency IANS.

He, however, added a caveat that he has not had a word with Rahul regarding his visit to Vietnam.

Rahul's Vietnam visit during the mourning period after former PM Singh's demise had triggered strong criticism from the BJP, which accused Gandhi of ‘prioritising’ his New Year holiday over India’s 'architect of economic reforms'.

The criticism came amid news reports suggesting that Rahul had flown abroad to ring in the New year.

The visit came even as the BJP and Congress locked horns over the latter's allegation that the party "humiliated" the 14th Prime Minister by holding his cremation at the city’s Nigambodh Ghat, which the party said wasn't fitting Singh's stature.

The BJP shot back accusing Congress leaders and the Gandhis of deliberately giving Singh's ash immersion rituals a miss.

"While the country is mourning Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s demise, Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the New Year," BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya claimed in his post.

The Congress had shot back terming Gandhi's visit abroad a "private visit" that should not bother the BJP.