New Delhi – A significant political controversy has erupted over the Putin dinner invitation list for the state banquet hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday evening. While Congress MP Shashi Tharoor received an invitation to the dinner honoring Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament—Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge—were notably excluded from the guest list, raising questions about diplomatic protocol and political considerations.
Opposition Leaders Excluded from State Banquet
The Putin dinner invitation controversy centers on the conspicuous absence of key opposition leaders from the prestigious state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at her official residence. Rahul Gandhi, who serves as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, were not extended invitations to the dinner celebrating Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to India for annual summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sources within the Congress party confirmed that neither Gandhi nor Kharge received invitations to attend the Putin dinner invitation event at Rashtrapati Bhavan. This exclusion has been interpreted by many as a departure from traditional diplomatic protocol, which typically includes opposition leaders in state functions involving foreign dignitaries of Putin’s stature.
Shashi Tharoor Confirms Attendance
In a development that has added another layer to the Putin dinner invitation controversy, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor confirmed that he was invited to the dinner and announced his intention to attend. Tharoor, a four-term Member of Parliament and former Union Minister, accepted the invitation despite the exclusion of his party’s top leadership from the same event.
The selective nature of the Putin dinner invitation—including a Congress MP while excluding the party’s highest-ranking leaders—has sparked debate about the criteria used for determining the guest list and whether political considerations played a role in these decisions.
Rahul Gandhi’s Earlier Allegations
The Putin dinner invitation controversy comes just a day after Rahul Gandhi publicly alleged that the Modi government is going against “tradition” and deliberately preventing him or any representative of the Opposition from meeting Vladimir Putin. Gandhi attributed this exclusion to what he termed the government’s “insecurity” regarding opposition engagement with visiting foreign leaders.
Gandhi’s comments, made before the dinner guest list became public, now appear prescient given the actual invitations issued. His allegations about breaking with tradition have gained additional weight following the confirmation that opposition leaders were indeed excluded from the state banquet.
Congress Party’s Response
Reacting to the Putin dinner invitation extended to Tharoor while senior leaders were ignored, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera issued a pointed statement questioning both the invitation and its acceptance. “Those who extended such an invitation raise questions, and those who accepted are also open to scrutiny,” Khera said, making clear the party’s disapproval of the situation.
Khera further elaborated on the party’s position, stating, “Everyone has their own conscience, their own inner voice. Had we been invited instead of our leaders, it is clear that we would not have accepted it.” This statement suggests that Congress members believe the Putin dinner invitation to Tharoor was designed to create divisions or embarrassment within the party rather than representing genuine diplomatic outreach.
Also Read: Putin India Visit: Big Bilateral Summit Delivers Key Agreements, 10 Major Highlights
Tharoor’s History of Independent Positions
The Putin dinner invitation controversy occurs against the backdrop of Shashi Tharoor’s recent history of taking positions that have left the Congress leadership uncomfortable. Over the past few months, the Thiruvananthapuram MP has made several public statements that diverged from or directly challenged party positions.
In February, Tharoor came under fire from the Congress party’s Kerala unit after he authored an article highlighting the start-up boom in Kerala during Left rule. He praised Kerala as “beginning to stand out as a model of economic innovation and sustainable growth,” comments that were seen as politically inconvenient given the Congress party’s opposition to the ruling Left government in the state.
Dynasty Politics Article Creates Friction
More recently, last month, Tharoor antagonized the Congress leadership with an article addressing dynasty politics in India. In the piece, he wrote that the Nehru-Gandhi family “cemented the idea that political leadership can be a birthright.” He characterized dynastic politics as posing a “grave threat to Indian democracy” and called for trading “dynasty for meritocracy.”
These comments were particularly sensitive given that Rahul Gandhi, one of the leaders excluded from the Putin dinner invitation, is himself a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family that Tharoor critiqued in his article.
Questions About Diplomatic Protocol
The Putin dinner invitation controversy has raised broader questions about diplomatic protocol and the role of opposition leaders in engaging with visiting foreign dignitaries. Traditionally, state banquets and official dinners for visiting heads of state include representatives from across the political spectrum, recognizing that foreign relations transcend domestic political divisions.
The selective exclusion of opposition leaders from the Putin dinner invitation list while including a rank-and-file Congress MP has been viewed by critics as politicizing what should be a non-partisan diplomatic occasion.
Political Implications and Scrutiny
As the Putin dinner invitation controversy continues to generate discussion, both the government’s decision-making process and Tharoor’s acceptance of the invitation face scrutiny. The incident highlights ongoing tensions between the ruling establishment and the opposition, as well as internal dynamics within the Congress party regarding individual members’ independence versus collective party positions.
The controversy surrounding the Putin dinner invitation ultimately raises fundamental questions about inclusivity in diplomatic protocol, the treatment of opposition voices, and the balance between individual choice and party solidarity in India’s political landscape.
