No G20 dinner invite for Kharge from President Murmu: Reports
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly not been invited to the special G20 dinner that will be hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday. According to the news agency IANS, sources in the Congress leader's office claimed that he had not been invited to the dinner as of Friday morning.
Why does this story matter?
This is not the only controversy surrounding the president's dinner invitation. Earlier this week, a row emerged after the Rashtrapati Bhavan's official dinner invite to foreign leaders and chief ministers reportedly read "President of Bharat" instead of "President of India." The development fanned speculation that the country's name could be permanently changed to "Bharat." Notably, Delhi is hosting the highly anticipated G20 Summit this week on Saturday and Sunday at the ITPO Convention Centre's Bharat Mandapam.
Manmohan Singh invited, Kharge overlooked
As per news outlet India TV, invitations have already been sent to former PMs HD Deve Gowda and Manmohan Singh and all chief ministers. Those invited include the likes of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, Tamil Nadu's MK Stalin, Bihar's Nitish Kumar, and Punjab's Bhagwant Mann, among others from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.
Know about gala dinner at Bharat Mandapam
It has also been learned that the high-profile dinner on Saturday will be held at the multi-function hall of the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital's Pragati Maidan. In an interview with NDTV, the operations and logistics head of the G20 Summit, Muktesh Pardeshi, revealed that there will be a small cultural program during the gala dinner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also host a working lunch for the world leaders on Saturday.
Security upped in Delhi ahead of G20 Summit
Meanwhile, security forces in Delhi are on their toes ahead of the G20 Summit's official kick-off. On Thursday, the Indian Army conducted an anti-sabotage mock drill in Delhi as part of its efforts to ensure the leaders' safety. Approximately 1,000 cops have been deployed for the security of the foreign delegates visiting the summit. The Delhi Police is also taking extensive measures to ensure absolute security in Delhi.
