Shashi Tharoor Attends Rashtrapati Bhavan Banquet for Putin, Congress Questions Protocol
December 7, 2025 – Senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor attended the state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday night in honour of visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, an attendance which has sparked renewed discussion within his own party regarding diplomatic protocol.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP took to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday to share his experience, describing the atmosphere as “warm and engaging” and highlighting his interactions with the visiting delegation.
Shashi Tharoor : “Enjoyed Conversations” with Russian Delegation
In his post, Tharoor, who also serves as the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, expressed appreciation for the diplomatic event.
“Attended the @rashtrapatibhvn banquet for President Putin last night. A warm and engaging atmosphere reigned. Enjoyed my conversations with many of the attendees, especially my dining companions from the Russian delegation!”
— Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP (Posted on X)
His presence made him one of the few prominent Opposition figures to attend the high-profile dinner, which concluded President Putin’s two-day state visit to India.
Internal Dissent Over Opposition Leader Invites
Tharoor’s attendance came amidst sharp criticism from other Congress leaders, who publicly questioned the government’s decision not to invite the Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses of Parliament—Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) and Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha)—to the state banquet.
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Congress Leadership’s Stance: Party functionaries, including Media and Publicity Department head Pawan Khera, accused the government of “breaching protocol” and deviating from long-standing democratic traditions of bipartisan engagement during high-level state visits.
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Questioning Tharoor’s Decision: Khera, while speaking to the media, also took a veiled swipe at Tharoor’s choice to attend, suggesting that party members should “question our own conscience” when top leaders are excluded.
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Rahul Gandhi’s Allegation: Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the government discourages visiting foreign dignitaries from meeting the Leader of the Opposition due to its “insecurity,” a claim which government sources later refuted, stating such meetings are up to the visiting delegation.
Tharoor Defends His Role
Responding to the criticism, Tharoor later clarified his position, stating that he attended in his capacity as the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which necessitated his involvement in foreign affairs issues.
“I don’t want to get into controversies… I was there more in my capacity as the chair of the foreign affairs committee of parliament, and I must say I had some interesting conversations,” Tharoor told reporters. He also voiced a moderate view on the controversy, adding that “it would have been a nice thing” if other opposition leaders had been invited.
The state banquet itself, hosted by President Murmu, marked the 25th anniversary of the India-Russia Strategic Partnership. Russian President Putin, in his address, praised the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and affirmed that it truly reflects the character of India-Russia relations.
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