'Rahul Gandhi Reportedly Visited White House, Meeting Kept Under Wraps', Claims Report

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reportedly went to the White House during his visit to the United States but the meetings were kept secret.

Gandhi was on a six-day visit to the US and during his time there, he visited Stanford University in California and the National Press Club in Washington DC among other places.

The Congress leader met several academics, tech experts and think tankers in the US.

According to Economic Times columnist Seema Sirohi, during his US visit, Gandhi also met "senior US officials, reportedly including Don Lu, assistant secretary of state for South Asia in the State Department".

"He reportedly also went to the White House. The meetings were kept under wraps for some strange reason," Sirohi wrote in her column in The Economic Times.

Gandhi’s US trip follows his disqualification from the Lok Sabha in March, after he was convicted in a criminal defamation case over controversial "Modi Surname" remark that he had given in 2019 and was awarded a prison sentence of two years by a Surat court.

The Congress leader's visit also comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming state visit to the United States, where he will be hosted by President Joe Biden and will address a joint session of the US Congress.

According to Sirohi, although Gandhi mostly avoided controversial statements, but his "American journey was limited".

"He seemed surrounded by minority groups with little outreach to thousands on the other side who are Congress supporters," she wrote.

"His [Gandhi's] public meetings in Washington were organised with help of a group that gives weekly warnings about impending 'genocide' of Muslims in India and runs a well-funded campaign on Capitol Hill. Its spokesmen often cross the line from being anti-Modi to being anti-India in their 'briefings' for Congressional staffers," Sirohi wrote.