Rahul Gandhi(L), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and foreign delegates during the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC), at the Samvidhan Sadan, in New Delhi
Credit: PTI Photos
New Delhi: While several BJP leaders criticised LoP Rahul Gandhi for not attending the CSPOC inaugural event, it has emerged that Gandhi was not invited in the first place. Sources said that he has received an invitation solely for the lunch hosted by the Vice President on Friday, which he is likely to skip.
On the sidelines of the event, several BJP leaders criticised Gandhi for his absence.
However, sources in both the government and the Congress confirmed that Gandhi was extended no invite. There was speculation that only members of the foreign affairs committee were present, however, it remains unclear if that is indeed the case. Among the attendees from the Congress is Shashi Tharoor, who is a foreign affairs expert and has not been strictly toeing the party line lately.
Sources said that Gandhi has been invited only for the lunch that Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan is hosting for the delegates on Friday. Gandhi is not going to attend the event, sources confirmed. Some senior Congress members have picked up the matter with Lok Sabha Speaker.
Union minister of state SP Singh Baghel said that he should have been present since it was an event that involved the pride of the country.
JD(U) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said that with so many attendees from several countries, the LoP should have been present. “Several attendees look up to our country for being such a large democracy – our Constitution, the way we conduct our polls, and our governance. At this moment, he should have been here,” Jha said.
BJP MP Jagdambika Pal alleged that Rahul Gandhi has no respect for parliamentary democracy. “In such an event, hosted by the Speaker, the LoP should have been standing beside, welcoming the delegates,” Pal said.