In pictures: Rahul Gandhi flies drone to inspect sister's under-construction house during Shimla holiday

Donning an olive-green quilted jacket on a long sleeve pullover and blue jeans, Congress president Rahul Gandhi was seen holidaying in the picturesque Himachal Pradesh hill station. During the holiday, the Congress president flew a drone to inspect the under-construction house of his sister Priyanka Gandhi. Pictures of him flying the drone outside his Priyanka’s house are already making rounds on social media.

During the Shimla visit, the Congress president also enjoyed “two-minute maggi” along with a cup of tea and interreacted with locals at a roadside dhabha. Hearing the news of Congress chief visiting the dhabha, local party workers reached the spot to click pictures with him. 

After the exhausting election campaign for the Assembly polls in five states, Congress President Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her children went to Shimla to see his sister’s under-construction house at Chharabra. The Congress president arrived in Shimla on a personal visit by road.

Meanwhile, a controversy has erupted over Rahul Gandhi's Shimla visit. According to the reports, the Congress president flew a drone to capture 360-degree images of his sister's under construction house. A report published in Dainik Jagran claimed that the Congress leader didn't take prior permission before flying the drone. It is now mandatory to take prior permission from authorities to fly a drone on public and residential places. For violating the newly laid down guidelines for flying a drone, is a punishable offence under the sections of 287, 336, 337, 338.

The visit of Gandhi comes days after the Congress emerged victorious in assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. After each election, Rahul Gandhi takes a small break from politics and go for holidays. Last year, after the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Karnataka, he had gone to Italy to visit his grandmother. However, he often faces criticism for his post-election trips and his opponents call him a part-time politician. After Gujarat polls, the BJP had taken a dig at him for enjoying holidays even as his party lost the elections. However, the holiday didn't make a fuss this time as he led his party a to landslide victory in three heartland states.