Why isn't Congress revealing details of Sonia Gandhi's travel expenses, asks Narendra Modi

New Delhi: After his claim of Rs. 1880 crore being spent by the government on Sonia Gandhi's foreign trips rang hollow, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has tweaked his attack. He says the Congress, Mrs Gandhi's party, must explain why it has not shared the expenses on her trips, solicited by a Right to Information activist. He also asked why the Congress has not taken legal action against a vernacular daily that said the bill for Mrs Gandhi's trips adds upto more than Rs.1800 crore.

Mrs Gandhi, who has reportedly been diagnosed with cancer, has been getting treatment in hospitals abroad and spends several days in every couple of months outside the country in connection with this. Gujarat votes in the next few months for its next government. Mrs Gandhi is scheduled to visit the state tomorrow to launch the Congress campaign. 

The Congress has derided Mr Modi's claim, especially because the man who filed the RTI application, Ramesh Verma, said that the figures being attributed to his petition are incorrect. In fact, he said, he hasn't received a response at all from the government. After his clarification, Mr Modi said that he is willing to publicly correct his claim, but said the Congress must explain why it hasn't shared the information sought by the activist, who lives in Haryana.

"I am not raising the question on the expense incurred on her trips aboard for her health," Mr Modi said, "but if some youth has asked for this under RTI how can you deny him the details?" he asked. Senior minister Kapil Sibal said yesterday that Mr Modi's accusations suggest he has lost  his "mental balance."  Mr Modi said at a rally today, "Congress leaders say I have lost mental balance, and I should go to the doctor. Let me tell them my doctors are my people... the people of my state."