New Delhi: Even as several dignitaries have been invited for the official dinner to be hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Congress on Friday said that both the leaders of oppositions have not been invited for the same.
Congress General Secretary and communication incharge Jairam Ramesh took to X to inform the same.
In a post, he said, “There has been speculation whether the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha have been invited for tonight’s official dinner in honour of President Putin.”
“The two LoPs have not been invited,” Ramesh said.
Rahul Gandhi is the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha while Mallikarjun Kharge is the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
On Friday, Kharge, who is also the Congress President, left for Bengaluru for a programme as it was fixed earlier.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who has been facing the ire of party leaders in last few months for his differing views, was invited for the official dinner.
Tharoor, speaking to the media in Parliament said, “I have been invited as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on External Affairs. Earlier in last few years that tradition had stopped and now it seems that it has been resumed.”
“Thus I will go,” he said, when asked if he will attend the dinner.
When questioned about the invite not shared with the two of the leader of oppositions, Tharoor said, “That I don’t know. I don’t know on what basis they send invitations.”
He added that earlier besides Leader of Oppositions there used to be wide representation from different parties that used to give a good impression.
On Thursday, Rahul Gandhi in Parliament took a sharp dig at the Narendra Modi-led Central government of not following the “tradition” of allowing foreign dignitaries to meet the leader of opposition and added that the government has “insecurity”.
Rahul Gandhi, who is also the former Congress chief had said, “Generally, the tradition has been that whoever visits India, the LoP used to have a meeting.”
He highlighted the last precedences under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government and the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government and said “but now this is not the case now”.
“Whenever I visit abroad, they suggest that those people shouldn’t meet the LoP. People told us we have been informed not to meet the LoP,” he alleged.
The Rae Bareli MP said: “LoP provides a second perspective; we also represent India, but the government doesn’t want us to meet foreign dignitaries.”
“Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and the foreign ministry do not follow this now because of insecurity,” he said.
