Pre-summit politics rise as Rahul Gandhi’s “insecurity” barb at Centre meets strong rebuttal

Rahul Gandhi’s claim on foreign leader meetings draws BJP rebuttal ahead of India-Russia summit

December 4, 2025

Rahul Gandhi’s “insecurity” dig at Centre draws backlash before Putin’s India visit

Rahul Gandhi’s cry of “insecurity” slammed as irresponsible timing

Ahead of Vladimir Putin’s India visit, Rahul Gandhi triggered another avoidable diplomatic storm by alleging that the Narendra Modi Government discouraged foreign leaders from meeting the Leader of the Opposition. The accusation came just hours before the arrival of the Russian president—raising serious questions about Gandhi’s judgement and timing in sensitive geopolitical matters.

Addressing reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi invoked a long-standing tradition in which visiting foreign dignitaries met Opposition leaders for an alternative national view. “It happened during the governments of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh. But now, when foreign dignitaries come, or even when I travel abroad, the government suggests they should not meet the Leader of the Opposition. This is their policy, and they do it all the time,” he claimed—without offering any proof or substantiation.

Gandhi further alleged that the Opposition, too, “represented India” and offered a “different perspective” when engaging foreign leaders. “It is not just the government. Ministry of external affairs, India and Modi ji don’t follow this norm. It is their insecurity,” he said—an explosive remark that many political observers criticised as reckless sloganeering rather than a responsible claim.

#WATCH | Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, “…It usually is a tradition that whoever visits from outside has a meeting with LoP. It used to happen during the governments of Vajpayee ji, Manmohan Singh ji. This has been a tradition. But these days, foreign… pic.twitter.com/5PxmGtiDCn
— ANI (@ANI) December 4, 2025

Veteran diplomat and senior BJP MP Harsh Vardhan Shringla dismissed Gandhi’s charge bluntly. “These visits are time-constrained, with extremely tight schedules. There is no protocol that mandates a meeting with the Leader of the Opposition. The core purpose is for the guest to meet the Prime Minister and the President—the constitutional heads of state. It depends on time and inclination, not political theatrics,” he told NDTV.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin was set to arrive in Delhi on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the India-Russia Annual Summit. According to official sources, Putin’s schedule included dinner talks with the Prime Minister, a visit to Raj Ghat, engagements at Bharat Mandapam and Hyderabad House, and a state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.

Diplomatic analysts noted that instead of strengthening India’s global standing, Gandhi’s latest salvo followed a familiar pattern—undermining the country’s external engagement at moments requiring national consensus and restraint.

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