Congress Upset with Shashi Tharoor for Attending Presidential Dinner for Putin

New Delhi: Dissatisfaction within the Congress against Shashi Tharoor for accepting the BJP’s invitation to attend the dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the Opposition being allegedly insulted. Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and Rajya Sabha Opposition Leader Mallikarjun Kharge were not invited, yet Tharoor chose to attend the event, drawing criticism.

Ignoring the Congress directive to act according to the political situation, Tharoor accepted the invitation to the dinner. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Tharoor should not have accepted the invitation and that he attended without consulting the party. The Centre had committed a serious protocol violation, he alleged.

Tharoor had earlier stated that he did not know why others from the Congress party were not invited and that he would participate in the dinner.

Rahul Gandhi had recently accused the Centre of preventing the Opposition from engaging with foreign leaders. He said the Modi government was not following long-standing traditions upheld even during the Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh administrations. “Even when travelling abroad, instructions are issued that foreign leaders should not meet the Opposition leader,” Rahul Gandhi alleged.