Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday slammed the government over the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the G20 gala dinner, saying this can happen only in countries where there is no democracy or no opposition.

Chidambaram said he hopes India, that is Bharat, has not reached a stage where democracy and the opposition will cease to exist.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said party chief and the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Kharge has not been invited to the G20 gala dinner. He alleged that the government doesn't value the leader of 60 per cent of India's population.

In a post on X, Chidambaram said, "I cannot imagine any other democratic country's government not inviting the recognised Leader of the Opposition to a state dinner for world leaders. This can happen only in countries where there is no Democracy or no Opposition." "I hope India, that is Bharat, has not reached a stage where Democracy and the Opposition will cease to exist," he said.

President Droupadi Murmu will host the dinner on Saturday at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 Summit of world leaders.

Interacting with the media at Brussels Press Club in Brussels, Gandhi said the government's action tells about its thinking.

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