PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over alleged discrepancies linked to his foreign travel expenditure, claiming that the estimated spending far exceeds his declared income over the years.
In a post on X, Sawant alleged that Gandhi undertook “seven undeclared foreign trips,” including what he described as a “ghost visit” to Muscat, without CRPF intimation or public disclosure. He also claimed that mandatory Ministry of Home Affairs clearances under Section 6 of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for 54 foreign visits between 2004 and 2026 were missing from the public domain.
Sharing graphics and expenditure estimates, Sawant claimed Gandhi made 54 traceable foreign trips across 11 countries over 22 years, with an estimated total spend of nearly Rs 60 crore, while his declared income between AY 2013 and 2023 stood at around Rs 11 crore. He alleged this reflected an “unexplained gap” of more than Rs 49 crore.
The CM further pointed to a 2015 Southeast Asia trip covering Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia, claiming the trip cost was estimated at Rs 4.5 crore, compared to Gandhi’s declared income of Rs 86.55 lakh for AY 2015-16. Sawant claimed the expenditure was over five times the declared annual income.
“If these trips were self-funded, they should appear in tax disclosures and official records. If they were funded externally, the required approvals should exist,” Sawant said, questioning who financed the travel.
“The nation deserves direct answers, not more evasions,” he added.
