Rahul Gandhi Accuses Modi Govt of Blocking Opposition Meeting with Putin Over ‘Insecurity’
New Delhi, December 4, 2025 | WorldNow.co.in
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of deliberately preventing him or any representative of the Opposition from meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin during the latter’s possible upcoming visit to India, citing a break from parliamentary “tradition” and “insecurity” on the part of the ruling dispensation.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi claimed that while Prime Ministers and leaders from the ruling party have traditionally met visiting heads of state, the current government was deviating from this practice when it came to the Opposition.
“The government does not want the Leader of Opposition or any Opposition representative to meet President Putin. This is against tradition,” Gandhi said. “They are doing this out of insecurity,” he added, without elaborating on the specific reasons behind the alleged refusal.
Sources in the Ministry of External Affairs have not yet issued an official response to the Congress leader’s allegations. It remains unclear whether a formal request for such a meeting was made by the Opposition and subsequently denied, or if the claim is based on informal indications.
President Putin’s visit to India has been under discussion for early 2026, primarily for the annual India-Russia summit, though no official dates have been confirmed by either side.
The war of words comes at a time when India continues to maintain a balanced relationship with Russia despite Western pressure over the Ukraine conflict, with Prime Minister Modi engaging directly with President Putin on multiple occasions in the past year.
Written by Samaran
Founding Editor, WorldNow.co.in
