Government blocking LoP's meetings with foreign dignitaries: Rahul Gandhi

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday alleged that no meeting had been scheduled for him with visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming the Modi government had broken with the tradition of facilitating customary LoP interactions with foreign dignitaries - both those visiting India and those he meets abroad.

"Generally, the tradition has been that whoever (heads of the states) visits India, the LoP used to have a meeting. It used to happen in the Vajpayee government, the Manmohan Singh government. But what is happening these days is that whenever foreign dignitaries are visiting or when I go abroad, the government suggests to them not to meet the LoP. This is their policy now and we get messages and we were told the government told them not to meet the LoP," Gandhi told journalists outside Parliament House.

"Relations are there with everyone. The LoP gives a different perspective. India is also represented by us, not just the government. But the government doesn't want the Opposition people to meet foreign dignitaries. This (such meetings) was the tradition and norm. But Modiji and the foreign ministry do not follow this," he added. Asked what could be the reason, Gandhi said it was "because of insecurity".


Courtesy meetings between LoPs and visiting dignitaries were a customary protocol with a clear norm of not raking up any domestic political differences/issues during or after such meetings. While Gandhi didn't state when exactly such meetings were discontinued, his comments nevertheless triggered some speculations in political circles.

After Gandhi made his grievances known, many of his party colleagues, including KC Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kumari Selja and Shashi Tharoor sympathised with his sentiments and criticised the government.

Dharna over air pollution: Earlier on Thursday, Opposition MPs of both the Houses staged a demonstration outside Parliament House, expressing their concern about the hazardous air pollution in Delhi and other parts.