New Delhi [India], May 14 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the funding of his foreign visits, alleging that the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha spends 'five times more than his declared income' and should 'clarify the source of funds' used for the trips.

In a post on X, Gupta raised concerns over what she termed as 'mysterious foreign trips' undertaken by the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) and demanded greater transparency regarding the expenditure incurred on such visits.

'The raw account of Rahul Gandhi's mysterious foreign trips is now before the public. Rahul Gandhi, who spends five times more than his declared income, should clarify to the country what the real source of funding for these tours is,' she wrote in her post.

https://x.com/gupta_rekha/status/2054857609392574969

She further alleged that if such expenses were borne by foreign entities, it would amount to a violation of the rules. 'If the expenses for these trips have been borne by foreign entities, then it is a direct violation of the rules,' Gupta said.

Raising further questions, she added that if the expenses were private, then they should have been properly disclosed. 'On the other hand, if this expense is private, then why was it concealed in official declarations?' she wrote.

Gupta also questioned Rahul Gandhi's commitment to transparency, saying his 'opacity raises serious legal questions.' 'This opacity from the Leader of the Opposition, who claims transparency, raises serious legal questions. Rahul Gandhi will have to answer for these anonymous expenses,' the post added.

The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi criticised PM Modi's 'seven appeals' where the Prime Minister urged citizens to prioritise work from home, reduce fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, reduce cooking oil consumption, shift to natural farming and curb gold purchases to help the country cope with global economic pressures caused by international conflicts while addressing a gathering in Secunderabad.

Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambit Patra questioned Rahul Gandhi over the funding of his foreign visits, alleging that the Leader of Opposition had spent nearly Rs 60 crore on 54 overseas trips over the past 22 years.

Addressing a press conference, Patra claimed that Rahul Gandhi had undertaken several foreign trips while holding elected office and alleged that details regarding the source of funding for these visits were not public.

'LoP Rahul Gandhi has been in an elected position for nearly 22 years. In these years, he has travelled abroad multiple times. Officially, the declared foreign trips amount to 54. These tours are public, but their funding is not public,' Patra said.

He further alleged that three to four people accompanied Rahul Gandhi on each foreign visit and claimed that the total expenditure on these trips amounted to nearly Rs 60 crore. 'On each of his foreign trips, about 3-4 people have travelled with him. The total expense of his foreign trips has been Rs 60 crore,' the BJP leader alleged.

Patra questioned how the expenditure on the visits was financed. 'We have the details of Rahul Gandhi's income from 2013-14 to 2022-23. In 10 years, Rahul Gandhi's income was Rs 11 crore. With an income of Rs 11 crore, Rahul Gandhi has spent Rs 60 crore,' he alleged.

The BJP leader further questioned whether the trips were funded personally, by the government, or by foreign entities. 'The question that arises is -- when he travels abroad, is the funding being done by the Government of India or by some foreign agency? If there is foreign funding, then provisions under FCRA apply. If it is personal funding, then it must be declared under income tax laws,' Patra said.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi termed the appeals as 'failures' rather than 'sermons.' 'These aren't sermons -- these are proofs of failure,' alleging that after '12 years' of governance, the government was now instructing people 'what to buy, what not to buy, where to go, where not to go.' Gandhi posted on X.

Reiterating his 'Compromised PM' jibe, the Congress MP also claimed that 'running the country is no longer within the reach' of the Prime Minister. (ANI)