Who are they, Giriraj Singh asks over Rahul Gandhi's holiday pic. Congress reacts

Union Minister Giriraj Singh sparked a controversy after sharing a photo of Rahul Gandhi with a woman and a child during his vacation. As the photo went viral, sparking curiosity, the Congress clarified who the people with Rahul were.The photo of Rahul Gandhi shared by Union Minister Giriraj SinghIn politics, a leader's private moments rarely stay private. A photo of Rahul Gandhi with a woman and a child in a boat, likely taken during his vacation, has become the centre of a political mystery after Union Minister Giriraj Singh posted it on X. Singh, who has come under severe backlash from the Congress, asked Rahul to reveal where and when the image was taken and who was accompanying him."Rahul ji, where was this picture taken, when was it taken, and who are the people with you in this picture? I am curious to know!" Singh tweeted. The Leader of the Opposition has frequently faced criticism from the BJP over his foreign visits. Rahul's three-week foreign trip in June-July also came under flak from the BJP. It is not known if the image shared by Giriraj Singh is from his latest jaunt.The image shared by the Union Minister shows a relaxed Rahul Gandhi with a woman, wearing a headscarf and sunglasses, and a child in a boat. The child, in a blue long-sleeved swimming costume, is seated between Rahul and the woman. CONGRESS CLARIFIES ON RAHUL'S VIRAL PICWith the image sparking fervent curiosity and suspense, the Congress clarified that the woman and child seen in the picture were the wife and son of Rahul's friend.Calling Singh a "lecherous" man, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, "The people in the picture are the wife and child of Rahul's friend. They were on a family vacation together. The friend is not in the photo." "You are a lecherous kind of man, who can only have vile thoughts upon seeing a woman and a man together... Don't let your own frustrations get the better of you," Shrinate tweeted.Avi Dandiya, social media in-charge of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), provided further details. "This photograph was taken at Lake Ray Roberts, Texas... Giriraj Singh, you can find out for yourself whether this is true or not," Dandiya said.Former Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV shared a poignant message for the Union Minister. "Curiosity isn't a good thing in old age... consult a good doctor," he said.BJP RAISES QUESTIONS ON RAHUL'S JAUNTSThe development comes at a time when the BJP has stepped up its attack on Rahul over his recent foreign trip. The Congress MP returned to India days before the start of the Monsoon session of Parliament."Rahul Gandhi's foreign trip between June 22 and July 13 remains shrouded in mystery. Where did he go? Who did he meet? Who sponsored his travel and stay?" BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted last month.Malviya further underlined that the public should know whether the LoP's "overseas engagements" involved meetings that could have a bearing on "political or strategic interests".Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam went a step further, alleging that Rahul met "enemies" of India during his foreign visits and was determined to "create chaos" in the country.Previously, the BJP claimed that Rahul made "54 traceable foreign trips" to London, New York, Italy, Germany, Qatar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Maldives and Dubai. It also included, the BJP claimed, a "secret" visit to Oman.The ruling party claimed there was a major mismatch between Rahul's declared income and expenditure on his foreign visits. The BJP alleged that the total estimated cost of these trips was around Rs 60 crore."Sworn declared income over 10 years? Mere Rs 11 crore... This is a massive funding scandal staring the nation," the BJP posted on X.Referring to a 2025 CRPF communication, the BJP also alleged that several of Rahul's foreign visits were undertaken without mandatory security protocol disclosures.- EndsPublished By: Abhishek DePublished On: Aug 11, 2026 12:43 IST