New Delhi: Congress on Friday clarified that neither party chief and Rajya Sabha Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge nor Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi were invited to the state banquet in honour of visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Party officials said the invitation was extended to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs. “There has been speculation whether the LoPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have been invited for tonight’s official dinner in honour of President Putin. The two LoPs have not been invited,” Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh posted on X.

The party described the exclusion of opposition leaders as a breach of protocol, noting that LoPs have traditionally been invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan state banquets. In a video shared by PTI, Tharoor 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 suggested that Tharoor’s inclusion could be a strategic move ahead of the Kerala elections. Tharoor, while acknowledging the symbolic significance of the dinner, praised PM Narendra Modi’s diplomatic gestures toward Putin, including gifting a Russian translation of the Gita. “Symbolism is a very important part of our foreign policy outreach. These gestures are not a substitute for substance, but they signal continuity in India-Russia relations,” he said.

Earlier, Rahul Gandhi criticized the government for not allowing opposition leaders to meet Putin, alleging that the tradition of LoPs meeting visiting foreign dignitaries has been ignored. “LoPs provide a second perspective and 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,” he said.