Cong, BJP trade barbs over Rahul's Bahrain visit

Even as Rahul Gandhi reached out to NRIs in Bahrain as part of his "brand building exercise," Congress and the BJP on Monday traded barbs with the ruling party describing the visit as a "copycat act" to emulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Rahul Gandhi's copycat acts of @narendramodi ji continue. In politics, what people look for are 3 C's: Credibility, Conviction & Competence. None of these can come from aping someone else. Isn't this an admission by @INCIndia that the real persona of @OfficeOfRG is unappealing," BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said.

"Rahul has been aping PM @narendramodi Ji. Like Modi Ji, Rahul went to colleges, temples & now NRIs. While imitation is the best form of flattery, it doesn't lead to success," he said.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari hit back at the BJP saying the party and its new President were quite aware not to follow what Modi had done in the last four years.

After his hugely successful visit to the US in September last year, Gandhi is on a day-long visit to Bahrain where he has held meetings with Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. He also met business leaders of Indian origin and addressed the valedictory function of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin.

Spectacalised diplomacy

Tewari said the Modi government had demolished and destroyed the reliable and sustainable relationships India had developed with countries around the world.

"India's foreign policy lies in tatters and, therefore, the one lesson which I think the Congress has internalised very well is that you do not Spectacalise diplomacy ... it has not brought any dividends to this country at all," Tewari said.