Not Rahul Gandhi but Shashi Tharoor gets invitation to meet Putin at President’s Banquet

Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in New Delhi on Thursday (Dec 4) for a 2-day state visit. He received a red carpet welcome from the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Palam Airport. Meanwhile, the Congress Party claimed that the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, was not invited to the President’s banquet. The party claimed that neither its national president, Mallikarjun Kharge, was sent an invitation to meet Putin.

But Congress Party's Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor received the invitation for the dinner. Tharoor confirmed receiving the invitation and said that he would “definitely" attend the event.

“I don’t know about the Leader of the Opposition not being invited, and I am not aware of the basis on which invitations were issued," Tharoor said, adding that he was “honoured to be invited."

This came after Tharoor led the multi-party delegation to express India's stand on zero-tolerance for terrorism and details of Operation Sindoor. President Droupadi Murmu will host a state banquet for Russian President Vladimir Putin this evening at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Putin's India visit

PM Modi welcomed the Russian president at the Palam Airport, and the duo carpooled to reach the official residence of PM Modi. This was the second time the duo was seen sharing the same car. Last time, in September, Putin had offered a ride to PM Modi in his official car during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China.

Both leaders held a bilateral meeting at the Hyderabad House, a 97-year-old architectural landmark whose role in the country’s statecraft has only grown with time. But before that, Putin was hosted by PM Modi for a private dinner.

During his two-day visit, the Russian president stayed at the luxurious Chanakya Suite at the ITC Maurya Hotel in New Delhi. The suit Putin stayed in had a massive area of 4,600 square feet. Within it, the suite contains the master bedroom, a steam room and sauna, a gym, its own reception, a living room, a dining room with a capacity to seat 12 guests. Moreover, the nightly tariff of the suit is around ₹8-10 lakh.