Opposition leader in Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has embarked on yet another foreign trip. This time, he has gone on a four-nation tour in South America, where he will be meeting political leaders, university students, and members of the business community.

Gandhi will be travelling to Brazil and Colombia, as informed by the  Congress’s media and publicity department head, Pawan Khera. There, he will be addressing students in universities, meeting with presidents and top leaders, and talking to businessmen on topics like trade and technology.

Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi, has embarked on a visit to South America. He is scheduled to engage with political leaders, university students, and members of the business community across four countries.

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) September 27, 2025

The Congress party has described this tour as an important step to strengthen India’s ties with South America, especially as the region and India share a historical connection through the Non-Aligned Movement and the Global South.

While the Congress party is presenting this trip as an effort to build democratic and strategic partnerships, the timing of Rahul Gandhi’s tour has once again raised questions back home.

A foreign visit when Bihar elections are around the corner

Rahul Gandhi, the Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, but he is not the Prime Minister of India nor a government delegation. Yet, he has assumed the function of giving talks overseas at a time when an important Bihar poll is at hand.

This has also triggered criticism that his priorities are in the wrong place. A responsible leader would, under normal circumstances, use his time to prepare for strategies, relate to the people on the ground, and consolidate his party ahead of a large election. Rahul Gandhi, however, has opted to go on another foreign trip.

His choice to engage with overseas university students also seems questionable. He is neither an academic nor a subject expert, yet he has scheduled lectures and debates with overseas students and thinkers. Critics allege that rather than giving speeches in Colombia and Brazil, he ought to be addressing the voters in Bihar, where the Congress is struggling hard to stay relevant.

This yet again brings forward the criticism levelled regularly against Rahul Gandhi, that he does not take politics seriously as a politician and tends to approach politics as a part-time activity instead of a full-time one.

Seen chilling in Malaysia just weeks ago

Adding to this impression is his recent vacation in Malaysia. Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi had just finished his so-called Voter Rights Yatra in Bihar. But instead of continuing his political outreach, he flew off to Malaysia soon after the yatra ended.

His trip became a matter of controversy after pictures surfaced on social media showing him vacationing in Langkawi, Malaysia. BJP leaders and people on social media slammed him for once again disappearing during an important political season.

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP’s IT cell, posted on X, “Rahul Gandhi has slipped away yet again—this time on a clandestine vacation in Langkawi, Malaysia. Looks like the heat and dust of Bihar’s politics was too much for the Congress Yuvraj, who had to rush off for a break. Or is it another one of those secret meetings that no one is supposed to know about? Either way, while people struggle with real issues, Rahul Gandhi is busy perfecting the art of disappearing and vacationing.”

Rahul Gandhi has slipped away yet again—this time on a clandestine vacation in Langkawi, Malaysia.

Looks like the heat and dust of Bihar’s politics was too much for the Congress Yuvraj, who had to rush off for a break. Or is it another one of those secret meetings that no one is… pic.twitter.com/NdiA4TP2bT

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 6, 2025

Besides, Gandhi’s Malaysia trip is surrounded by controversy because Islamic fundamentalist Zakir Naik took Malaysian citizenship after leaving India. This had led to speculations that Gandhi might have gone to Malaysia for a ‘special meeting’. An X user wrote, “He has gone to Malaysia to meet his guru, Zakir Naik”.

The Malaysia trip, which came immediately after his Bihar yatra, only reinforced the view that Rahul Gandhi treats political events like assignments, something to be quickly completed before heading abroad to relax.

A secret trip to Uzbekistan before state polls

This is not the first instance Rahul Gandhi has opted to travel out of the country before elections. In October 2023, he clandestinely left India for a visit to Uzbekistan ahead of crucial Vidhan Sabha elections in several States. 

When he did come back, the media learned about it only when he was seen at Delhi International Airport. He still did not reveal what the purpose of the trip was. This secrecy has been a habitual aspect of his foreign trips, which are usually done under a veil of secrecy.

This kind of conduct, critics argue, is not fit for a senior Opposition leader who ought to be showing the way, particularly in the midst of critical political seasons.

The Congress prince has a history of going abroad during elections

Rahul Gandhi has a track record of going on holidays without informing the public, either during election season or at a time when his party needs him the most. Gandhi is famous for his foreign travels during a crisis in his party, and also for promoting foreign interference in India’s internal affairs.

His Bangkok trip in 2019 was equally controversial. At that time, too, he left in the middle of the elections and went on a trip. The questions raised on his foreign trips are not without ground, as many times during his foreign trips, he has met anti-India elements. 

For example, in 2023, during his visit to the US, he met Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of Hindu for Human Rights (HfHR). HfHR is an Islamist advocacy group which accuses Hindus of indulging in discrimination in India.

In April 2022, when the Congress party needed leadership and there were rumours of including Prashant Kishor in the Congress, Gandhi went abroad, showing a lack of concern. And, soon after Prashant Kishor refused to join the party, Rahul Gandhi again suddenly disappeared for about 10 days, without giving any information. During that time, despite being in a deep crisis, the Congress party had to work without any leadership.

Earlier, in December 2021, when the Congress party was defeated very badly in assembly elections held in five states, Rahul Gandhi was on a personal trip to Italy. Due to his trip, election activities in Punjab were dealt a significant setback as a majority of rallies were postponed until his return. This trip of his became the cause of the Aam Aadmi Party’s victory and the defeat of his own party.

In September 2021, when the Congress was in trouble because of Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation in Punjab, the Gandhi family was on leave in Shimla. 

In December 2020, when the 136th foundation day of the Congress Party was being celebrated, Rahul Gandhi once again flew to Italy. Likewise, in October 2019, only 15 days before the elections in Haryana and Maharashtra, he flew off to Bangkok.

Similarly, soon after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he flew off to London and began vacationing, without holding back for the outcomes. He did not even join a crucial meeting convened by his mother, Sonia Gandhi.

 Apart from this, Rahul Gandhi often did not take SPG security (Special Protection Group) during his foreign trips and kept violating security rules. Due to this, the government withdrew his SPG security. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also raised questions on this in Parliament.

A pattern that shows misplaced priorities

With the Bihar elections around the corner, Rahul Gandhi’s decision to go on a South American tour has only revived these old criticisms. Instead of spending time in Bihar, where his party has a lot at stake, he is once again abroad, speaking to foreign students and leaders.

For many observers, this reflects misplaced priorities. At a time when the Congress party is struggling to find its feet in one of India’s most politically important states, its leader is thousands of miles away. Rahul Gandhi’s pattern of vanishing abroad before major elections raises serious doubts about his seriousness as a politician and whether he truly sees himself as a full-time leader.