Rahul Gandhi intervened to allow entry of Abhijit Mukherjee at dinner hosted by Sonia Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Just a day after President Pranab Mukherjee persuaded the government to drop the ordinances pushed by Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi, his son and firsttime Lok Sabha member, Abhijit Mukherjee, was about to turn back from the dinner hosted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday after being denied entry by the security personnel.

Rahul Gandhi intervened just in time to get the SPG personnel to allow entry to an annoyed Abhijit, who had arrived without an invitation card but was pretty cut at not being let in even after he flashed his identity card issued by Parliament, a person familiar with the matter said.

The Congress president’s office had sent out invitation cards to all party MPs for the dinner that she hosted at her residence on 10 Janpath. But Abhijit who represents Jangipur in West Bengal, did not seem to have received his invitation card and apparently did not realise that he would not be let in by the security without the duly stamped invitation. His name was somehow not on the list of the invitees available with the security either. He tried to explain matters but got “very offended” when the SPG personnel refused to budge, the person said.

Just when the situation seemed to be getting out of hand, Rahul got to know about it and pulled up the SPG in-charge at the venue to ensure Abhijit’s entry. Rahul profusely apologised to Abhijit, the person said. According to another person, Rahul himself came to the entry gate to escort Abhijit in.

Abhijit could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. His family and the President’s secretariat said they were not aware of the matter at all.

However, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP from Baharampur in Bengal, told ET, “I have heard there was some problem at the gate because of security personnel who did not allow Abhijit to enter without some requisite identity card.”

At the dinner, Sonia reportedly asked the party MPs to be battleready for the upcoming polls.