Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjuna were not invited to the dinner held in honor of Putin at Rashtrapati Bhavan, but Shashi Tharoor invited, raising political heat.

New Delhi. A special dinner has been organized at Rashtrapati Bhavan today in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many Union ministers and senior officials including President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in it. There is talk that Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge have not been invited to this dinner, while Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been invited as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Now because of this the political temperature regarding this dinner has become heated.

VIDEO | “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,” says Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on being invited to the banquet in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

(FULL VIDEO… pic.twitter.com/lcMRZj7cpm

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 5, 2025

When Congress MP Shashi Tharoor was talked about, he confirmed that he has received an invitation for dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Tharoor said that since I am the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, as per parliamentary tradition, I have been invited to the dinner organized in Putin’s honour. Tharoor said that I will go to participate in it. After this dinner Vladimir Putin will leave for Russia.

Delhi: On Congress MP Shashi Tharoor being invited to the Rashtrapati Bhavan banquet, Congress leader Pawan Khera says, “Those who issued such an invitation also raise many questions. And those who accepted the invitation are also open to scrutiny. Everyone has their own… pic.twitter.com/TVkt4Sb7uG

— IANS (@ians_india) December 5, 2025

Congress leader Pawan Kheda said, it is quite surprising that the invitation was sent and it was also accepted. Everyone has a conscience. When my leaders are not invited but I am invited, then we should understand why this game is being played, who is playing the game and why we should not be a part of it. Let us tell you that a day earlier, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had accused the government of not arranging his own meeting with Putin. Rahul Gandhi had said that the government does not want me or any opposition leader to meet foreign leaders.