Surprising that Putin dinner invite was accepted: Congress leader slams Tharoor
Surprising that Putin dinner invite was accepted: Congress leader slams Tharoor
M.U.H
06/12/202525
The split in the Congress has once again come out into the open, with Shashi Tharoor at the heart of the controversy. Tharoor’s decision to accept an invitation to attend Russian President Vladimir Putin’s dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday night has drawn criticism from within the party, as Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were not invited.
Expressing surprise, Congress leader Pawan Khera wondered whether Tharoor was unaware of the "game" being played.
"When my leaders aren't invited, but I am, we should understand why the game is being played, who is playing the game, and why we shouldn't be part of it...," he said.
"It's quite surprising that an invitation was sent, and the invitation was accepted also. Everyone's conscience has a voice," Khera said.
Meanwhile, Tharoor said he would certainly attend the dinner, adding that it was ‘not right’ that Opposition leaders were not invited.
"I don’t know on what basis the invitation is being sent, but I will certainly go; it is not right that leaders of the Opposition have not been invited," he said before attending the dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Earlier today, sources within Congress told India Today TV that both the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge have not been invited to dinner organised for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Rashtrapati Bhavan tonight. This was later confirmed by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on X.
This development comes a day after Rahul Gandhi accused the Narendra Modi government of breaking the tradition of inviting Opposition leaders to meet visiting delegations.
Government sources dismissed Rahul Gandhi's charge, calling it unfounded. They pointed out that since Rahul Gandhi became the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha on June 9, 2024, he has met at least four visiting heads of state, including then-Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
This is not the first time Tharoor has been at the eye of the storm from his own party members this year. Earlier, he drew flak for representing the Indian delegation for the Operation Sindoor outreach, much to Congress’s objections. More recently, his attendance at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Lord Macaulay, followed by his praise for it, was also frowned upon by his party colleagues.
