No invite to Modi: Naidu accuses Cong of "small-mindedness"

Hitting out at Congress for not inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an event to mark Jawaharlal Nehru's birth anniversary, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu today said it shows the "small- mindedness of the party and its leadership".

"Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India and Modi is the current Prime Minister. I am amused by the decision of the Congress to not invite Modi to the conference on Nehru when it is inviting leaders from various other countries," Naidu said here on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Vivekananda Shelter for Homeless at Rohini.

"It only reflects the small-mindedness of the Congress party and its leadership. I am also amused by the reason given by Congress for not inviting the PM, that Modi did not believe in Nehru's ideology," he said, adding that "the decision of the Congress party only amused me, though it is not a surprise".

Sources in Congress have said that no leader of BJP or its allies would be invited to a two-day international conference to be held here on Nov. 17 and 18 which aims to highlight the legacy and worldview of Nehru. The event will be attended by a host of international leaders and representatives of various political parties from India and abroad.

Taking exception to Congress' decision, Naidu said, "Leaders of different parties may have different thinking and ideologies. But prime ministers, whether past or present, are national leaders and should be seen as such rather than citing ideological differences."