This Article is From Sep 08, 2023

Former PMs Manmohan Singh, HD Deve Gowda Invited To G20 Dinner

All chief ministers, including those from Opposition-governed states, have been invited to the dinner.

The 18th G20 Leaders' Summit will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.

New Delhi:

Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have been invited to the G20 Summit dinner in New Delhi on Saturday. 

The 18th G20 Leaders' Summit, to be held at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, is one of the most high-profile international summits ever hosted by India.

All chief ministers, including those from Opposition-governed states, have been invited to the dinner.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with other chief ministers of the INDIA bloc, including Tamil Nadu's MK Stalin, West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, Punjab's Bhagwant Mann, and Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal, will also attend the G20 banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has not been invited to the G20 dinner, his office has confirmed.

The use of "Bharat" instead of "India" in President Murmu's G20 invitations to foreign leaders sparked a major controversy. For the first time, official invitations were issued by the "President of Bharat" instead of the customary "President of India".

The Opposition has accused the ruling BJP of trying to rebrand India for political gain.

Among other world leaders, US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are expected to be part of the gathering in New Delhi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both withdrawn from the weekend summit.

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