Rahul Gandhi seen at nightclub in viral video; Congress responds

Rahul Gandhi, who is in Kathmandu, reportedly attended the wedding of a friend a day ago. Pic/Official Twitter handle @amitmalviya

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was seen in a viral video at a nightclub in Kathmandu.

The viral video has come at a time when Congress is seen to be in deep leadership crisis, with the party's bid to onboard the poll strategist Prashant Kishor having failed.

Gandhi, who is in Kathmandu, reportedly attended the wedding of a friend a day ago. In the purported video, the Congress leader is seen attending the party. The video has gone viral on various social media platforms.

"Rahul Gandhi went to a friendly country, Nepal, to participate in a marriage function of a friend who also happens to be a journalist. It has still not become a crime in this country to attend a marriage. Maybe after today, the BJP may decide (if) it is illegal to attend a marriage and a crime to have friends," said Randeep Singh Surjewala, the Congress media department head.

According to a report in Kathmandu Post, Rahul Gandhi had landed in Nepal's capital city on Monday afternoon. The daily cited Bhim Udas, former Nepali ambassador to Myanmar, as saying that he had extended an invitation to Rahul Gandhi to attend the wedding of his daughter.

Udas's daughter Sumnima, a former CNN correspondent, is getting married to Nima Martin Sherpa, according to the Nepali publication.

Kathmandu Post report said that in August 2018, Rahul Gandhi had visited Kathmandu on his way to Kailash Mansarovar.

Rahul was apparently in the viral video at a Lord of Rings, a nightclub. However, there is no independent authentication of the contents of the viral video.

The Congress is widely being commented in the political circles to be in a leadership crisis. Only a few days ago, the long discussions with poll strategist Prashant Kishor abruptly ended.

Rahul has recently been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government on various issues, including the price rise and unemployment. He has been actively tweeting against the government. On Monday, he hit out at the Centre for "job crisis, power crisis, and inflation".

Meanwhile, while taking potshots at Rahul, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday called him a "full-time tourist and a part-time politician, who is filled with hypocrisy".

"Pappu ji (Rahul Gandhi) is a full-time tourist and a part-time politician who is full of hypocrisy. After getting time from travelling, Rahul Gandhi fabricates fake stories and remarks and tries to mislead the people of this country," Naqvi told ANI.

He further added, "His remarks (Rahul Gandhi) misleads his own party members, not the people of this country. The situation will remain the same if he will walk on this path only."

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