Modi govt tells visiting dignitaries not to meet Opposition leader: Rahul Gandhi
Modi govt tells visiting dignitaries not to meet Opposition leader: Rahul Gandhi
M.U.H
04/12/202526
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of denying permission for the visiting dignitaries to meet the Leader of the Opposition in the country.
Notably, his remarks came ahead of the two-day visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will arrive in Delhi this evening.
"Normally, the tradition is that those who come from abroad have a meeting with the LoP. This used to happen during (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji's time and Manmohan Singh ji's time,” Gandhi, who is the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, said.
“But what happens these days is that when foreign dignitaries come and when I go abroad, the government suggests to them not to meet the LoP," he added.
The Congress leader underscored the importance of such meetings, saying they will help give another perspective. "We also represent India, only the government does not represent India,” he added.
The Russian president is likely to arrive in New Delhi around 6:35 pm on Thursday, and hours later, Modi will host him for a private dinner in reciprocation of a similar gesture extended to the Indian prime minister by the Russian leader during his visit to Moscow in July last year.
On Friday, Putin will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before the 23rd India-Russia summit. Modi will also host a working lunch for the Russian leader and his delegation at Hyderabad House, the venue for the summit.
