New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor attended the State dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu in honor of Russian President Vladimir Putin at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The dinner, which was a part of Putin’s two-day state visit to India, was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other political figures.
Shashi Tharoor confirmed his attendance at the dinner, stating outside Parliament that he would “definitely go” to the event.
This man is a born Diplomat! His every word is Gold.
— BhikuMhatre (@MumbaichaDon) December 5, 2025
No wonder .@ShashiTharoor earned invite for Dinner with President Putin & 'Kiddo' Rahul Ghandy didn't. pic.twitter.com/CmtERhBpAC
No Invitation for Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge
Congress leader Pawan Khera expressed disappointment over the absence of invitations for Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and Mallikarjun Kharge, the LoP in the Rajya Sabha. Khera accused the government of breaching “all protocols” by excluding the opposition leaders from such a major event.
“There is no invite for the other LoPs, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. This comes as a surprise, but we should not be surprised because this government is used to breaching all protocols,” Khera said.
Khera also criticized Shashi Tharoor for accepting the invitation. “It’s quite surprising that an invitation was sent, and the invitation was also accepted. Everyone’s conscience has a voice. When my leaders aren’t invited, but I am, we should understand why the game is being played,” Khera added.
State Dinner for Russian President Putin
The State dinner at Rashtrapati Bhavan was part of the formal events during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to India.
The event took place after Putin’s ceremonial welcome, which included the traditional tri-services guard of honor and the playing of both Russian and Indian national anthems.
#WATCH | Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin was accorded a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan to attend the banquet hosted in his honour by President Droupadi Murmu
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2025
(Source: Kremlin) pic.twitter.com/BDVbRs8RMw
The dinner was attended by several dignitaries, including Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Delhi LG VK Saxena, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
During his visit, President Putin held talks with Prime Minister Modi, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
The two leaders also issued a joint statement condemning terrorism and emphasizing efforts to combat transnational organized crime, money laundering, and terrorist financing.
