Speaking to IANS, Jha said, “We have clearly messed up the optics. The relationship between India and Russia is decades old. The friendship between the two nations existed even when I was a child. With time, this relationship has only strengthened. But regarding Friday’s banquet, the officials in our government who took this decision demonstrated narrow-mindedness. A clear sense of exclusivity was visible. Do you think President Putin’s media advisors would not have noticed the news here? What message will they carry back? That this is a divided house.”
He added, “This was the moment when India could have showcased unity. It is fine if we fight during elections, but on such occasions, we should demonstrate universality and dignity.”
On Friday, the Congress said its President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and his Lok Sabha counterpart, Rahul Gandhi, were not invited to the official dinner held in honour of the visiting Russian President.
“There has been speculation on whether the Leaders of the Opposition 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.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor found himself at the centre of a controversy yet again as he accepted the invitation for the banquet despite his party chief Kharge and Gandhi being excluded, prompting criticism from several within the party.
Ahead of attending the event at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Tharoor said, “I don’t know on what basis the invitations are being sent, but I will certainly attend. It is not appropriate that the Leaders of the Opposition have not been invited.”
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