'Breaking tradition': Rahul Gandhi protests over no opposition-Putin meeting
What's the story
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has accused the central government of breaking a long-standing tradition of allowing opposition leaders to meet visiting foreign dignitaries. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Gandhi said this practice was followed by previous governments, including those led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. "It used to happen during the governments of Vajpayee ji and Manmohan Singh ji... But these days...the government advises them not to meet the LoP," he said.
Accusations made
Gandhi accuses government of 'insecurity'
Gandhi alleged that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Ministry of External Affairs are involved in this practice. He called it an act driven by "insecurity." The Congress leader said the government does not want him to give a different perspective on India's position during these meetings. He made the remarks just before Russian President Vladimir Putin's arrival in New Delhi at around 4:30pm.
Diplomatic visit
Putin's visit to India and its significance
President Putin will be hosted by PM Modi for a private dinner after his arrival. Their formal talks on Friday will center around deepening defense ties, shielding India-Russia trade from outside pressure, and discussing cooperation in small modular nuclear reactors. This comes amid a significant dip in India's relations with the United States over President Donald Trump's tariffs.
Historical context
Congress highlights historical significance of India-Russia ties
Ahead of Putin's arrival, the Congress party highlighted the historical significance of India-Russia ties, tracing them back to Soviet leaders Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev's visit to India in 1955, and Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to the USSR. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said these visits laid the foundation for strong bilateral relations. He added that technology transfers from such visits helped establish Indian companies like HAL and ONGC.