After a political slugfest erupted over the viral video of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi in which he was seen at a nightclub in Kathmandu, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT department head Amit Malviya on Wednesday questioned “why he has ties only with those who are challenging India’s territorial integrity”.

Taking to Twitter, Malviya said, “Rahul Gandhi was supposedly at the wedding of Sumnima Udas, a Nepali diplomat’s daughter, who actively supports Nepal’s claims over regions of India’s Uttarakhand. From China to Nepal, why does Rahul Gandhi have ties only with those who are challenging India’s territorial integrity?”.

Malviya’s tweet came in response to Congress’ counter-attack on the BJP after the slugfest over Rahul Gandhi’s viral video.

Yesterday too, while the BJP leaders grabbed the opportunity to hit out at Rahul Gandhi, Congress had sharply reacted and said “it has still not become a crime in this country to attend a marriage celebration”.

“Rahul Gandhi went to a friendly country Nepal for a marriage function of a friend who also happens to be a journalist. It has still not become a crime in this country to attend a marriage. Maybe after today, the BJP may decide (if) it is illegal to attend a marriage and a crime to have friends,” said Randeep Singh Surjewala, the Congress media department head.

The BJP, incidentally, took a potshot at the Rahul Gandhi by referring to the “leadership crisis” in the Opposition outfit. Congress had been in an intense discussion with the poll strategist Prashant Kishor over revamping the organisation. However, Kishor opted out of the exercise.

Woes for the Congress refuse to die down as the party’s working president in the poll-bound Gujarat Hardik Patel on Monday removed the name of the organisation from his Twitter profile.

Later on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi reached out to the disgruntled Gujarat Congress Committee working president Hardik Patel to sort out differences in the party unit ahead of state Assembly polls, said sources.

Party sources claimed that Rahul Gandhi has himself sent a message to Patel, asking him to continue in the party. He has also asked the party in-charge and other leaders to reach out to Patel to sort out the differences.