G20 Summit 2023: Full list of Indian leaders attending special dinner and those opting out
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to participate in the President’s G20 dinner amid the India-Bharat renaming row. The government has also extended invitations to former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda.
FollowFormer prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda will not attend the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for world leaders on Saturday due to "health reasons". Singh and Deve Gowda both informed the federal government that they would be unable to attend the dinner. Gowda took to X (formerly Twitter), "I wish the G20 summit a grand success."
Earlier reports said former prime ministers and Chief ministers, including opposition-ruled states among others, have been invited to the gala dinner. Trinamool chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has confirmed their presence at the event. According to various media reports, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are also likely to attend the G20 welcome dinner.
According to reports, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu would also be in the nation's capital on September 9 to attend the President's dinner. There are also reports that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may also attend the dinner.
The Leader of the Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, who occupies a constitutional office and has rank comparable to a Union minister, has not been invited to the dinner, according to sources in the Congress. However, chief ministers of Congress-ruled states of Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are unlikely to be present.
President Murmu will host the dinner on Saturday at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 summit of world leaders. The G20 Summit, scheduled for September 9-10 in Delhi, is set to host top leaders from various countries including the US, the UK, Canada, and the European Union.
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