New Delhi – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday responded to allegations by Congress leaders that the Leaders of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were not invited to the banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for Russian President Vladimir Putin at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Congress had raised concerns that protocol was being violated by excluding key Opposition leaders from the guest list for the high-profile diplomatic event.

BJP’s Defense

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia described the Congress reaction as “drama” and clarified that invitations to foreign dignitaries’ banquets are often guided by the preferences of the visiting leaders. “Whenever a foreign dignitary visits, they can indicate if they wish to meet any individual. You can see in the pictures that Rahul Gandhi has met ousted Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, and the Prime Minister of New Zealand. So if these meetings happened, then why this drama?” Bhatia said.

The BJP’s stance highlights that the inclusion of specific leaders in such events is not necessarily a violation of protocol but depends on the discretion of the visiting dignitary and the hosting officials.

Details of the Banquet

President Murmu hosted the dinner for President Putin on Friday evening before his departure for Moscow. While Opposition LoPs were absent from the guest list, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was invited. Tharoor described the banquet as warm and engaging, noting productive and cordial interactions with the Russian delegation.

Opposition Reaction

Earlier, Congress leaders had expressed surprise and disappointment over the guest list. Jairam Ramesh, a senior Congress leader, confirmed that both LoPs were not invited. Pawan Khera, another Congress MP, criticized the government for inviting Tharoor while excluding top Congress leadership, describing it as inconsistent with democratic principles and protocol.

Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain emphasized that Rashtrapati Bhavan should maintain neutrality and rise above “partisan preferences and biases” in official events. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi termed the exclusion of LoPs “petty” in the context of a diplomatic gathering.

Khera further elaborated, “Everyone’s conscience has a voice. 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.”

Context

The debate over invitations reflects longstanding sensitivities around protocol during visits of foreign leaders to India. Opposition leaders have occasionally raised concerns when they perceive exclusions or preferential invitations as politically motivated, while the government often cites diplomatic discretion and the visiting dignitary’s preferences as guiding factors.

In this instance, the BJP emphasized that the non-invitation of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge was not unusual, pointing to instances where the same leaders had met other foreign dignitaries without controversy. The incident underscores the delicate balance between diplomatic protocols and domestic political optics when hosting international guests.