“Can happen only where’s there no democracy”: Chidambaram on Kharge not invited for G20 dinner

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday slammed the government over the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the G20 gala dinner, saying this can happen only in countries where there is no democracy or no opposition.

New Delhi: Congress veteran P Chidambaram sharpened his attack against the central government for not having invited the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge for the G20 state dinner. There were media reports that the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was not invited to the G20 state dinner.

“I cannot imagine any other democratic country's government not inviting the recognised Leader of the Opposition to a state dinner for world leaders,” Chidambaram wrote on X. “This can happen only in countries where there is no Democracy or no Opposition,” he further wrote, noting he hopes “India, that is Bharat, has not reached a stage where democracy and the opposition would cease to exist" he added in the post.

On Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressing a press conference in Brussels, also criticised the Government for not inviting its senior leader and Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge. “What is contrary about it? They have decided not to invite the Leader of the Opposition. It tells you something. It tells you that they don't value the Leader of 60 per cent of India's population. It's something that people should think about - why they are feeling the need to do that and what is the type of thinking that goes behind that" said Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress MP is on a tour of Europe organised by the Indian Overseas Congress. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also weighed in on the debate, stating it was “unfortunate”. “This is a very unfortunate thing that he is not being called in the summit. The dissent of the Opposition should be respected. Leaders of the opposition have a very important role in a socialist society,” Baghel said while speaking to the reporters in Raipur.

President Droupadi Murmu will host a dinner on the opening day of the G20 summit in New Delhi on Saturday at a hall of Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the summit. Among those invited for the dinner include former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh, HD Deve Gowda and various chief ministers of different states.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi is a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year. (ANI)