Union Minister Kiren Rijiju. File | Photo credit: ANI
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 trips with the authorities concerned to avoid action for any violation of the law.
“Serious questions have been raised about Rahul Gandhi. Every Indian has to follow the rules and laws and especially a member of parliament has to follow the rules strictly. The questions raised are serious because if any MP wants to travel abroad, he has to inform the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha secretariat three weeks in advance,” he told reporters.
“Tomorrow, if something happens, if some actions are initiated, then the government should not be blamed for targeting Rahul ji,” Mr. Rijiju said.
Stating that MPs must also inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), he said that in case the MP accepts foreign hospitality and the expenses are borne by foreign hosts, the MP is required to inform the MHA under Section 6 of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
Mr Rijiju said it was a matter of “serious concern” that some of Mr Gandhi’s 54 foreign visits – made in the last 22 years – were not announced. He said the security agencies assigned to protect him were also frustrated by such trips.
On Thursday (May 14, 2026), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted Mr Gandhi over his foreign visits, claiming that the estimated expenses did not match his declared income. The party demanded that Mr. Gandhi and the Congress disclose the source of funding for these trips.
In a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra claimed that the estimated travel expenses were nearly ₹ 60 crore and Mr Gandhi’s declared income for the last 10 years was about ₹ 11 crore.
He said that under the Representation of the People Act, the Congress should make public the audited accounts submitted to the Election Commission of India if the party bore the expenses. If the details were disclosed in income tax returns, the record should be made public, he said.
(With PTI inputs)
Published – 15 May 2026 22:58 IST
