The BJP has intensified its political attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and started the hashtag #WhereIsRahul and questioned his absence from the public and political arena. The Congress has not yet officially replied to the BJP's comments.
The BJP’s criticism comes even as Rahul Gandhi remained active on social media on Thursday, attacking the Centre over education policies and taking legal steps in a separate defamation-related case.
BJP Launches '#WhereIsRahul' Campaign
In a series of posts on X, the BJP questioned Rahul Gandhi's whereabouts and accused him of disappearing after electoral setbacks.
The party wrote:
"As soon as elections arrive in the country… Taking flight to foreign lands upon defeat, This is Rahul Gandhi’s true identity!"
The BJP also claimed that Gandhi’s politics is only based on electoral wins and defeats instead of public responsibility.
Another post read:
"The question in the country’s politics is not only about winning or losing elections, but about fulfilling responsibilities... The whole country is asking just one question: #WhereIsRahul?"
In a more sarcastic post, the BJP said:
"Oh no! India's fake Constitution saver is nowhere to be found! Who's going to rescue the helpless Congress now? Should we send out carrier pigeons? Put his face on milk cartons? Or maybe launch a new reality show: #WhereIsRahul?"
The Congress has so far not issued an official response to those remarks.
𝐎𝐡 𝐧𝐨! 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝!
— BJP (@BJP4India) June 25, 2026
Who’s going to rescue the helpless Congress now? 😱
𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐬? 𝐏𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐤… pic.twitter.com/P02wQqRAli
What Rahul Gandhi Said on Thursday
Despite criticism from the BJP's campaign questioning his absence, Rahul Gandhi made two major interventions on Thursday. Attack on Union Education Minister-
Rahul Gandhi made a furious attack on Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling him rude to students.
In a post on X, Gandhi claimed that the Union government had become arrogant and was targeting students who were demanding:
Fair examinations
Protection of their rights
Better employment opportunities
He demanded that Dharmendra Pradhan apologise to the students and resign from his ministerial post. Approaches Madhya Pradesh High Court
Rahul Gandhi also filed an application with Madhya Pradesh High Court expressing regret over an alleged defamatory statement on Kartikeya Singh, son of Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The case is pending against Kartikeya Singh, he said.
Why Does the BJP Keep Raising Rahul Gandhi's Absence?
The BJP has repeatedly made Rahul Gandhi’s public and parliamentary attendance a political issue, arguing that the Leader of the Opposition should be more consistently present during important national events.
Among the issues frequently highlighted by the BJP are:
Parliament Attendance
The BJP has often cited parliamentary attendance records, claiming that Gandhi's attendance has remained around or below 50%, which it says is below the average for Members of Parliament.
Missing National Ceremonies
The party has criticised Gandhi for skipping several high-profile constitutional events, including:
Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.
Oath-taking ceremonies of the Chief Justice of India.
Swearing-in ceremonies of the Vice-President.
As the BJP says, such absences are disrespectful to constitutional institutions.
Absence During Key Debates
The BJP has also accused Gandhi of demanding discussions on national issues—including geopolitical developments and India's space programme—but not being present when Parliament or the Prime Minister addressed those subjects.
Institutional Panels
Another frequent criticism of Gandhi has been that he has not attended important parliamentary committees and institutional meetings.
Congress's Defence
The Congress has consistently rejected the BJP's criticism.
The party has argued that:
Some absences were because of sudden health or medical reasons. Rahul Gandhi regularly puts people first with his nationwide yatras, public meetings, and mass outreach programmes instead of committee meetings. His private foreign visits are part of his personal life and family commitments, which the party insists must not be politicised.
Congress leaders have also accused the BJP of using Rahul Gandhi's travel and attendance records as a political distraction from substantive policy issues.
Politics Over Presence Continues
The BJP’s latest #WhereIsRahul campaign is the latest manifestation of the long-standing political strategy of attacking Rahul Gandhi’s visibility, participation in Parliament, and commitment to institutional responsibilities.
On the other hand, the Congress maintains that Gandhi's political work is much more than Parliament work and covers a broad public engagement across the country.
As both sides continue to frame the narrative to their benefit, the debate has shifted away from Rahul Gandhi’s physical presence and has become less about Rahul Gandhi’s presence to the issue of what constitutes good political leadership and public accountability.
