Rahul Gandhi Criticizes Modi Government for Blocking Opposition Meetings with Foreign Leaders Ahead of Putin's Visit

Rahul Gandhi slammed the Centre ahead of Putin's India trip

Hours ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has criticized the Narendra Modi government for discouraging visiting foreign leaders from meeting opposition leaders. Gandhi attributed this to the government's "insecurity" that leads them to abandon a long-established tradition.

Speaking to journalists outside Parliament, Gandhi emphasized that meeting with the Leader of the Opposition has been a customary practice for visiting foreign dignitaries.

"It used to happen during the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee ji and Manmohan Singh ji. This has been a tradition. But these days, when foreign dignitaries come or even when I visit abroad, the government suggests that foreign leaders not meet the Leader of the Opposition. This is their policy, and they do it all the time," he claimed.

Gandhi further stated that the Leader of the Opposition provides a different perspective when meeting visiting foreign leaders. "We, too, represent India. It is not just the government which does it. The government doesn't want the Opposition to meet people coming from outside. Modi ji and the Foreign Ministry don't follow this norm. It is their insecurity," Gandhi remarked.

In response to Gandhi's allegations, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, former Foreign Secretary and BJP's Rajya Sabha MP, explained: "These visits are time-constrained, and the guests have a very tight schedule. I don't think there is any protocol that requires the Leader of the Opposition to meet them. What matters is that the guest meets the Prime Minister and the President, who are the heads of state. There is no necessity for them to meet X, Y, or Z; it all depends on time and inclination," he told NDTV.

Sources also indicated that the Ministry of External Affairs arranges meetings for visiting leaders with government officials and bodies. "It is up to the visiting delegation to organise meetings outside the government," a source mentioned.

The sources highlighted that former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, Mauritian PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon have met Gandhi since he became the Leader of the Opposition in June last year.

Russian President Putin is arriving in Delhi this evening to participate in the India-Russia Annual Summit on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Government sources reveal that the Russian President's packed itinerary includes dinner with Prime Minister Modi, a visit to Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Raj Ghat, events at Bharat Mandapam and Hyderabad House, and a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.