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The trip comes after Gandhi participated in the Congress's Goy Rakhon Yatra (Save Goa March) in poll-bound Goa, where he walked for two kilometres alongside party leaders. Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in the state next year.

The BJP's jibe also comes amid protests by the Congress and other INDIA bloc constituents against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of electoral malpractice.

On October 12, Congress and other INDIA bloc leaders held a ‘March for Democracy’ rally to the Supreme Court and submitted a petition concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Opposition parties have also held several other protests over allegations of irregularities in the electoral revision exercise.

Meanwhile, the Congress defended Rahul Gandhi's trip, saying he was entitled to travel wherever he wanted in his personal time.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Sandeep Dikshit, chairperson of Rachnatmak Congress, said Gandhi had a personal life alongside his responsibilities as the Leader of the Opposition. He added that Gandhi made productive use of his visits abroad.

"Rahul Gandhi has a personal life. Besides, he has his own responsibilities as the Leader of the Opposition. Every time he goes, he does something productive. Sometimes, he meets students of Yale University; sometimes he meets intellectuals. He always does something that benefits the country," Dikshit said.

Hitting back at the BJP, Dikshit also contrasted Gandhi's interactions with the media with those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dikshit also took a swipe at PM Modi over his foreign trip during last year's Monsoon Session of Parliament.- Ends