Rahul Gandhi returns home after Nepal nightclub controversy

A purported video of Rahul Gandhi attending a nightclub in Nepal sparked controversy in the media as the video went viral.

Kathmandu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi returned home on Thursday after concluding his personal visit to Nepal, days after his viral Nepal nightclub video triggered a war of words between his party and the ruling BJP.

The Kerala Congress MP had reportedly gone to Nepal to attend a wedding party at a nightclub in the Himalayan nation. According to Congress sources, he was in the country to attend the wedding of a Non-Resident Nepali businessman's daughter Sumnima Udas.

Rahul had also visited the famous tourist hub of Kspakerthmandu Thamel and the cultural city Lalitpur during his visit to the country on Monday. A purported video of Rahul attending a nightclub sparked controversy in the media as the video went viral.

“We had extended an invitation to Gandhi to attend the wedding of my daughter,” Bhim Udas, Sumnima's father who also served as Nepal's Ambassador to Myanmar, had said last week.

The BJP alleged that Rahul was at a nightclub when his party was "exploding", evoking a sharp response from the Congress Party which said he was in Nepal to attend the marriage of a journalist friend, and that is not a crime.

Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said Gandhi was in Nepal for a private wedding function and had not gone there uninvited. He also said it is not a crime to attend a wedding of a friend or a family member.

Sumnima, a former CNN correspondent, got married to Nima Martin Sherpa on Tuesday. A reception was held on May 5 at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bauddha, the bride's father Bhim said.

Some other Indian VVIPs also attended the wedding. Earlier in August 2018, Gandhi had visited Kathmandu on his way to Kailash Mansarovar.