While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the United States is already making headlines, news about Congress Vice President having left for the same destination for an unspecified duration has triggered speculation about the purpose of this sudden visit.

What made matters worse was that in typical Congress opaqueness, there was no official announcement but as news about his departure trickled in, speculation mounted, particularly in view of the forthcoming elections in Bihar, forcing the party to clarify that he had not gone on any sabbatical or holiday.

“Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is travelling to Aspen, US on a short visit to attend a conference. The conference is expected to be attended by global leaders from various domains, both from government and private sectors,” Party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told the press.

But the announcement may have come a bit too late. TheTimes of India reported Congress leaders as speculating before the announcement that he was going to see his ailing grandmother in America, while others described it as a “personal” visit.

While the Congress may insist that he has not gone on yet another sabbatical, the buzz was too tempting to ignore for social media  and sure enough as Twitter speculated on the the real and purported reasons behind his visit, jokes were created, reheated and reused as yet another reminder of his 56-day sabbatical earlier in the year.

Here’s a selection: