Diplomatic Dinners: A Tale of Invitations and Protocols

The Congress party criticized the Indian government for not inviting Leaders of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to a banquet for Russian President Vladimir Putin. While MP Shashi Tharoor accepted the invite, questions about protocol adherence arose, highlighting political nuances in official event invitations.

The Congress party expressed discontent on Friday over the exclusion of its Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, from a banquet event honoring Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Congress spokesperson described this as a breach of protocol by the Indian government.

Shashi Tharoor, a Congress MP who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, did receive an invitation and confirmed his attendance. However, this raised questions within the party about the criteria for selecting invitees.

Rahul Gandhi criticized the government, stating that past traditions included meetings between foreign dignitaries and Indian opposition leaders, a practice he claims is being disregarded under the current administration.