While the letter concerning Modi’s American visa is still afresh and making headlines, a related news has gone unnoticed: Sonia Gandhi and 64 other MPs have signed a letter urging the presidents of Spain, Switzerland, and Italy to deny tourist visa to Shri Rahul Gandhi. The Nehru-Gandhi scion, an MP from Amethi, is renowned for taking off for long holidays to undisclosed locations in Spain, Italy and Switzerland, in tow with his companion. As such this isn’t a problem but his long vacations snowball into major political embarrassments for the ruling party and bring much heart-burn to his mother. The letter states:

“Once he’s in Europe, it’s impossible to keep track of him or reach him in case he is urgently required to make an air-dash back to India for putting in a token appearance whenever a natural calamity strikes.

And where do you think the money to finance his exotic sojourns comes from? He doesn’t have a day job as such and, needless to say, his extravagant lifestyle, is taking a toll on his family savings. And with the rupee sharply depreciating, it is becoming more expensive for the Congress party to foot his bills, especially since there are no dalit households to stay in or simple dishes like dal-chawal to savor when he dines out.

Therefore, on humanitarian and economic grounds, we urge you to rescind his tourist visa. Such a ban would be consistent with the shared values of Western Europe and India.”

While the Spanish and Swizz embassies have responded saying that they’re looking into the matter, the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has already dismissed the petition. The Italian president has sent a written response stating: “How can we deny visa to our own citizen!?! Your petition makes no sense.”

Major newspapers and national news channels unanimously decided to not publish the news as this is not related to the Gujarat riots. A prominent news editor was quoted saying, “No, that’s not even news. Where’s the communal element in it? Where are the references to Gujarat riots? Where is the puppy remark? No, we can’t publish that at all. Our newspaper’s real estate is too strict. We have a lot of secular news to be covered amidst all the Bollywood actresses’ oops moments.”