The G20 summit is in full swing, and to add to the opulence, India’s President has invited famous individuals to a formal banquet on Saturday evening, the conference’s opening day.
Leading world leaders, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US President Joe Biden, have already confirmed their attendance at the summit and participation in the dinner ceremony.
Along with them, special invitees include India’s wealthiest business titans, including Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, as well as all chief ministers and Union ministers who have been invited to President Droupadi Murmu’s special dinner at Bharat Mandapam on Saturday. While the former Prime Minister has been invited, a source in his office has revealed that he will be unable to attend due to his health.
The absence of an invitation to Congress President and senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge for this presidential dinner has raised eyebrows.
According to sources, the meeting would be attended by cabinet and state ministers, all Chief Ministers, and all Secretaries to the Government of India. Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have been invited, as have all chief ministers, including those from Opposition-ruled states.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with other INDIA bloc chief ministers such as MK Stalin of Tamil Nadu, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Hemant Soren of Jharkhand, Bhagwant Mann of Punjab, and Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, will attend the G20 banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.
The gala dinner will be hosted in the multi-function hall of Bharat Mandapam, the rebuilt India Trade Promotion Organisation facility at Pragati Maidan in Delhi.
According to opposition sources, Kharge’s absence from the guest list is problematic not only because he is a party president, but also because the G20 dinner is hosted by the President, not the government.
The G20 brings together leaders and political agencies to address and resolve common challenges and work for the improvement of their countries and the world.
MK Stalin has been invited to the conference, but Kharge has not. Despite inflammatory comments made by MK Stalin’s son, Udhyanidhi Stalin, referring to ‘Sanatan Dharma’ as dengue, which sparked outrage among citizens and political figures, DMK leader MK Stalin was invited.
The decision by the President to exclude such a renowned leader appears to be unjust and politically motivated.
The G20 summit is a national event that is not linked with any political party. It has far-reaching consequences for the entire country, and in such instances, the administration and opposition should work together rather than alienate one another. It is unlawful to invite some members while excluding others, particularly the head of India’s major opposition party.
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