Search Parties Scout for Rahul Gandhi

File photo of Rahul Gandhi

#WhereIsRahul is trending again on Twitter.

This time because the Congress vice president has applied for leave from his party and left the country just as the crucial Budget session of Parliament began with an intense political battle over one of the causes he has been passionate about - land acquisition and farmers' rights.

The hashtag is a Twitter classic. It trended after the Congress' humiliating defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in May last year. Mr Gandhi, who led the Congress' campaign, had skipped a farewell dinner for outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

And then again in October when the Congress lost power in both Maharashtra and Haryana, months after the debacle in the national elections, the Congress Vice President was to be spotted nowhere and #WhereIsRahul made a comeback.

Congress leaders said on Monday that Rahul Gandhi has taken a few weeks' "leave of absence" from the party to "reflect upon recent events and the future course of the party".

Twiteratti are having a field day.

I thought, RaGa was already on a Sabbatical after 16 May. Isn't it? #RahulOnLeave

- Sadhavi Khosla Dalal (@sadhavi) February 23, 2015

Rahul: Mom, I'm going on leave. Shall I compose an out of office email? Sonia: Dei. Poda. All of us are out of office. #RahulOnLeave

- Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) February 23, 2015

It's not a leave. It's a study leave. He has taken some time off to understand the bills that will be tabled in this session. #RahulOnLeave

- Nitin Gupta(Rivaldo) (@Nitin_Rivaldo) February 23, 2015

At the time of writing this, there are nearly 15,000 tweets around the hashtag #WhereIsRahul. There were others, hashtags such as #RahulOnLeave and #IstandWithRahul are also trending.

Many on Twitter are made suggestions on where Rahul Gandhi is:

.#RahulGandhi is on Pataya beach right now waiting for the next Gandhi wave #WhereIsRahul

- #GauravPradhan (@DrGPradhan) February 24, 2015

A sabbatical within a sabbatical. Rahul Gandhi seems to be in a Nolan movie!

- Rimjhim Ray (@GlobeSlother) February 23, 2015

A bearded guy, shrouded in a blanket, sipping tea at a Dhaba, Murthal. He calls for the bill as a 14" tv blares frm the top #WhereIsRahul.

- Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) February 23, 2015

Congress supporters defended Mr Gandhi stoutly:

I have been told #WhereIsRahul is a global trend. Good! If his absence is such big news, await his return. And presence. Patience, guys!

- Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) February 23, 2015

If Rahul wans to reflect what went wrong why criticise him ? Every one wants some peace to reflect. Only timing could have been better.

- digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) February 24, 2015

People on Twitter should first ask themselves how many Breaks and Vacations they take.As human beings we all entitled to them #RahulOnLeave

-(@rachitseth) February 24, 2015