New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has declined the invitation to attend the dinner invitation extended by the President Ram Nath Kovind in honour of visiting US President Donald Trump.
Sources close to the Congress leader said, “since no invitation has been extended to Chairman of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Sonia Gandhi, so it would not be appropriate for him to attend the function.”
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had declined the invitation to attend the Presidential banquet saying since party Interim President Sonia Gandhi has not been invited, he will not attend.
The floor leaders of both the Houses of Parliament have been invited for the Presidential banquet to be hosted on Tuesday. The schedule of the US President has no mention of meeting with any Opposition leaders. The Congress said on Friday that it had not received any invitation for its leaders to meet Trump on his two-day visit to India.