Congress said the government did not invite its two main leaders to the state banquet held for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, did not receive an invite. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, also did not receive one.

At the same time, the government sent an invitation to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor. He heads Parliament’s standing committee on external affairs.

Party confirms the decision on X

Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh addressed the issue on social media. He said there was speculation over whether the two leaders were invited. He then confirmed that they were not.

“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,” he posted.

Congress calls it a break from tradition

The party said the move breaks long-standing protocol. It pointed out that Opposition leaders are usually invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan banquets when a foreign head of state visits India.

Congress argued that excluding the two LoPs goes against democratic tradition.

Tharoor accepts invite but questions the move

Shashi Tharoor confirmed he had received the invitation and said he would attend. At the same time, he raised concerns about the two Opposition leaders being left out.

In a video shared by PTI, he said, “Don’t know on what basis invitations are issued, but I will certainly attend. It is not appropriate that Leaders of Opposition are not invited.”

A senior Congress leader went a step further. He claimed the government invited Tharoor intentionally, keeping the upcoming Kerala elections in mind.

Tharoor speaks on Modi-Putin symbolism

Earlier, Tharoor had commented on the warm gestures shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards President Putin. He said symbolism plays a key role in diplomacy, though it does not replace real policy decisions.

“In diplomacy, both symbolism and substance are important. The symbolism is a very important part of our foreign policy outreach. When the PM goes to the airport, he takes him (Putin) for a private dinner and gives him the Gita translated into Russian; all these are significant symbolic gestures. They are not a substitute for substance. I have no doubt that it is an important signal of continuity of an important relationship with Russia,” Tharoor told media.

Rahul Gandhi attacks the government

Rahul Gandhi strongly criticised the government over the matter. He said earlier governments followed a different and more inclusive tradition.

“Generally, the tradition has been that whoever visits India, the LoP used to have a meeting. It used to happen in the Vajpayee government, the Manmohan Singh government. But 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. LoP provides a second perspective; we also represent India, but the government doesn’t want us to meet foreign dignitaries. PM Modi and the foreign ministry do not follow this now because of insecurity,” Gandhi alleged.

Political tension deepens

The issue has sharpened tensions between the government and the Opposition. Congress says the decision sends a wrong message to the public and the global community. It believes the government is deliberately sidelining Opposition voices at important diplomatic events.

So far, the government has not publicly explained why Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were not invited.