… Congress Bristles at ‘Selective Diplomacy’
New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been invited to the state dinner hosted for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday night, even as two of the party’s tallest leaders — Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge — have not made the guest list, triggering unease and sharp reactions within the Opposition camp.
Tharoor, who heads the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, confirmed he would attend, calling the invitation “a courtesy extended to the chair of the committee.” But the exclusion of both Leaders of Opposition — in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha — has left the Congress fuming.
This man is a born Diplomat! His every word is Gold.
No wonder .@ShashiTharoor earned invite for Dinner with President Putin & ‘Kiddo’ Rahul Ghandy didn’t. pic.twitter.com/CmtERhBpAC
— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) December 5, 2025
Congress Voices Discomfort, Questions Intent
Without naming Tharoor, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera appeared to criticise both the invitation and its acceptance:
“It’s surprising an invitation was sent — and accepted. When my leaders aren’t invited but I am, one should understand why the game is being played and who is playing it.”
Party leaders pointed out that neither Rahul Gandhi nor Kharge received an invite, confirming what they called an “unprecedented breach” of political protocol.
MP Shashi Tharoor invited to the President’s banquet organised in honour of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India.@Pawankhera ji says, “It’s quite surprising that an invitation was sent and the invitation was accepted also.
Everyone’s conscience has a voice. When… pic.twitter.com/B2ijTYlFnS— Asma (@asmatasleem13) December 5, 2025
The snub comes just a day after Rahul accused the Centre of discouraging visiting foreign leaders from meeting Opposition figures — a courtesy, he noted, upheld during the Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh years.
Despite his strained ties with the party leadership, Tharoor backed Rahul on this point, saying, “The Leader of the Opposition has made his point. The government should respond.”
A Flashpoint in an Already Strained Relationship
The controversy has revived long-running tensions between Tharoor and the Congress high command:
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His past remarks perceived as praising Prime Minister Modi have sparked criticism internally.
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His recent article on dynastic politics, seen as a critique of his own party, deepened suspicion about his loyalties.
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Rumours of a possible switch to the BJP — repeatedly denied by Tharoor — continue to swirl.
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His role in the 2022 letter calling for internal reforms remains a lingering sore spot.
As India hosts President Putin for a high-profile visit, the dinner guest list has become an unexpected political flashpoint — blending international diplomacy with internal party tensions.
With Tharoor attending and Congress’s top leadership pointedly excluded, the episode underscores widening rifts inside the party and highlights the political sensitivities surrounding foreign engagement in New Delhi’s power corridors.
