In a strong statement ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi raised serious concerns about the government sidelining opposition leaders in matters of diplomacy. According to Gandhi, the traditional practice of allowing the LoP to meet visiting foreign dignitaries is being ignored by the current government.
Rahul Gandhi’s Allegation
Rahul Gandhi said that historically, opposition leaders were always given an opportunity to meet foreign heads of state visiting India. This was a norm followed during the Vajpayee government and the Manmohan Singh administration. However, Gandhi claims that this tradition is not being respected under the current government led by PM Modi. He stated, “Generally, the tradition has been that whoever visits India, the Lop used to have a meeting. It used to happen under the Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh governments. But this is not the case now.”
Exclusion From Diplomatic Engagements
Rahul Gandhi emphasized that whenever he or other opposition leaders travel abroad, they are told that certain foreign dignitaries should not meet the LoP. He added that this approach sidelines the opposition’s role in diplomacy and prevents them from providing a “second perspective” on important international visits. He remarked, “People told us we have been informed not to meet the LoP. LoP provides a second perspective; we also represent India, but the government doesn’t want us to meet foreign dignitaries.”
Tradition Being Overlooked
The Congress leader pointed out that this practice is a significant departure from earlier governments. During the Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh administrations, opposition leaders were routinely allowed to meet foreign dignitaries to maintain bipartisan representation and transparency in India’s diplomatic engagements. Rahul Gandhi described the current approach as being driven by insecurity, saying that the Prime Minister and the foreign ministry are not following the established tradition of engaging with the opposition during international visits.
