Rahul returns to India after NE debacle

Congress President Rahul Gandhi returns to India after his visit to Italy.  Gandhi left for Italy on Thursday, March 1, to "surprise" his maternal grandmother and spend the Holi weekend with her. @OfficeOfRG tweeted: My Nani is 93. She's the kindest soul ever. This Holi weekend, I'm going to surprise her! I can't wait to give her a hug.... #HappyHoli to all of you. Have a joyful celebration."


Leaving as he did ahead of the north-east polls where the Congress lost Meghalaya, the BJP made sure to take a dig at him.


BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday made a jibe at the Congress president, saying that elections are ongoing in Italyy. "Mujhe WhatsApp pe message aaya hai ki Italy mein chunaav hai (I received a message on WhatsApp that elections are currently on in Italy)," said Shah while addressing a press conference on his party's performance in the Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya elections.


Union minister Giriraj Singh, too, today declared Gandhi a "master election strategist" - purportedly for leaving the country at a time when election results in three states were due.


It was left to Congress leader Ahmed Patel to defend his leader. Patel hit hit out at Singh, demanding to know if it was a "crime for someone to visit his own grandmother."