Rahul Gandhi had announced his desire to undertake the Kailash Mansarovar on April 29.
Highlights
- Rahul Gandhi not registered as applicant to undertake yatra: Official
- Foreign Ministry says last date for registration was March 23
- Mr Gandhi announced desire to undertake pilgrimage on April 29
The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that it did not receive any request from Congress president Rahul Gandhi to undertake this year's Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
"We have not received any formal request for his visit to the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question at a media briefing.
His response came following media reports citing Congress sources which said that Mr Gandhi, who had expressed his desire to go for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after the Karnataka assembly elections, had not received a response to his request for special permission from the Foreign Ministry.
Explaining the procedure for undertaking the annual pilgrimage, Mr Kumar said that there are primarily two ways of undertaking this.
"The first is through the MEA organised route, which is a very transparent route," he said.
"You have to register yourself on the (ministry's) website. And through a transparent draw, which is conducted in front of the media, the names of the people who could undertake the Yatra are selected and made public there and then."
Mr Kumar said that Rahul Gandhi's name was not registered as an applicant to undertake this Yatra.
"The second route is the private route where you have to go through a private travel agency to undertake this Yatra," he said.
"And in that case, some intimation could come to us, but even in that regard we have not received anything."
According to a Foreign Ministry press release dated February 21, the last date for registration was March 23.
However, Mr Gandhi had announced his desire to undertake the pilgrimage on April 29 at the Jan Akrosh rally at the Ramlila Maidan.
This year, the Yatra is scheduled from June 8 to September 8 through two routes, according to the Foreign Ministry.
Pointed out that Rahul Gandhi had applied for special permission, which is normally granted to lawmakers, Mr Kumar maintained that no such request was received.