Congress Divided as Tharoor Attends President’s Banquet for Putin
The controversy picked up pace when senior Congress leader Pawan Khera publicly questioned not just the “surprising” nature of the invitation but, in fact, Tharoor’s acceptance of it.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2025-12-06 11:56 GMT
A political storm broke out in the Congress when party MP Shashi Tharoor attended the state banquet hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited. The surprise came when Tharoor confirmed he had received the invitation and would “certainly attend,” while expressing that it was “inappropriate” for the Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses to be excluded. His attendance immediately triggered internal criticism, exposing deepening cracks within the party’s ranks.
The controversy picked up pace when senior Congress leader Pawan Khera publicly questioned not just the “surprising” nature of the invitation but, in fact, Tharoor’s acceptance of it. His remarks intimated that Tharoor’s decision risked undermining collective opposition unity and might inadvertently lend legitimacy to political maneuvering by the ruling establishment.
However, the absence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge raised a compelling question. He said protocol usually accommodates the Leaders of the Opposition during such high-profile state events. The omission of their names, he argued, sent a disturbing message about keeping the opposition out during moments of national representation.
Tharoor, however, defended himself, citing precedent. As the chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, he maintained that attending such events was consistent with his role. He went on to state that this was an act of honor, while conceding that the non-invitation of the opposition heads was unfortunate and against established democratic practice. His clarification notwithstanding, many within the party viewed the situation as more political than procedural.
The incident has spilled over into a wider political debate well beyond the Congress circles. Onlookers have speculated that this could be a deliberate, selective invite with the intention of creating visible divisions within the opposition camp. Tharoor, already in the limelight for often assuming independent positions within the party, emerged as the focus of this narrative, fueling further speculation about internal dynamics within Congress.
The article has been authored by Siftpreet Kaur, an intern at Deccan Chronicle