Peeved at the Modi Government's move to not allow its top leaders, including party chief Sonia Gandhi, to meet with the visiting US president Donald Trump, as has been the tradition, the Opposition Congress has decided to give the official banquet hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind in honour of the visiting dignitary a completely miss.
On Monday, news came in about former Prime minister Manmohan Singh too not attending the banquet hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind in honour of the US President on Tuesday.
Singh had earlier accepted the invite but expressed his inability to attend the same. He has conveyed his regret to the President's office for not being able to attend the banquet, sources close to Singh said.
Earlier, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad had decided to skip the President's banquet in protest over the party's top leaders not being extended an invitation.
Chowdhury said the Modi Government has done away with the tradition of allowing the principal opposition party to hold discussions with the visiting US President, unlike in the past when such meetings were arranged. "I will not attend the banquet hosted by the President on February 25. It is a protest on my behalf," he said.
He said the Government has not extended an invite to Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "We do not feel good about the change in tradition by the Modi Government, when the principal opposition party leaders are ignored during such key visits. In the past, we ensured the principal opposition party leaders meet the visiting dignitaries, including US President George Bush or Barack Obama," he said.