A self-goal

Rahul Gandhi's comments overseas do him no favours

Irreverent commentators in India may have designated Rahul Gandhi the  Pappu (little boy) of Indian politics, an inadequate and slightly comic challenger to Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party’s talismanic leader. When he makes formal public appearances overseas, however, foreign governments have to take him more seriously and assess him in his capacity as the president of the Congress, the country’s most significant opposition party. In that sense, such platforms offer him a good opportunity to enhance his credibility. In the past, in the US and Singapore, he had displayed poise and charm in fending off questions about his dynastic credentials.