On Tuesday, a video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Kathmandu nightclub went viral and drew mixed reactions from all quarters of Indian polity and society. While some blamed Gandhi for partying while his party goes through crisis, others defended the 50-years-old leader for having a private life and attending a friend’s wedding.
However, apart from Rahul, another person became a talking point after the video went viral. Many speculated that who was the person he was seen talking to.
Many on social media claimed that the woman seen with Rahul Gandhi in the nightclub was Hou Yanqi, the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal. This led to people being concerned and wondering why the Gandhi scion met with a supposed Chinese envoy in a nightclub, and what they were talking about.
However, factchecking websites have found out that the woman in the video was a friend of the bride at the wedding that Rahul Gandhi was attending in Nepal. She was not a Chinese diplomat.
According to India Today’s factcheck, the nightclub seen in the video was Lord of The Drinks, a popular pub in Kathmandu.
Rabin Shrestha, the CEO of Lord of the Drinks, confirmed to India Today that Gandhi visited the pub on May 2 along with five or six people. He also confirmed that no Chinese ambassador was present along with Gandhi during his visit.
“He [Rahul Gandhi] was here for one and half hours. It was his personal visit. Nobody from the Chinese embassy was present with him,” said Shrestha.
Shreshta, when asked about the identity of the lady seen with Gandhi in the viral video, said she was a friend of the bride who was also invited to the wedding ceremony. “Of course, she was not the Chinese ambassador.”
As per India Today, Shrestha did not want to divulge any more details about the guests since it was a personal visit.
Anil Giri, a senior journalist with The Kathmandu Post, also spoke to India Today over the phone regarding the identity of the woman in the video. “Rahul Gandhi was in the pub with the friends of the bride and groom. The lady is definitely not the Chinese envoy. She is a Nepali woman from the bride’s side,” said Giri.
Conclusion: This goes on to prove that Rahul Gandhi was not partying with a Chinese envoy in Kathmandu club.
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