Rahul needed time off to introspect : Ambika Soni
Her clarification came a day after Rahul triggered a nationwide controversy by taking leave of absence when the parliament's budget session began with the much debated land bill being the burning issue for the opposition.
The Congress said Rahul has been "granted leave of absence for a few weeks after which he will return and resume his active participation in the affairs of the Congress party"..
"What was told to all of us was that he had felt this need constantly to take a few days off to contemplate, to introspect," Soni, a former union minister, said adding that Rahul had been feeling the urge to take time off from the period preceding the Delhi assembly polls.
The Congress experienced a total rout in the Delhi elections failing to secure a single seat.
Soni said the party would not comment on whether Mr Gandhi was abroad.
Rahul's decision drew a sharp criticism from different quarters, including from party insiders like Digvijay Singh, who said the timing could have been better.
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