Congress wants those 'not invited' to Nehru event to introspect reasons

The Congress on Friday stated those not invited to Nehru event should introspect on reasons as to why they have been left out from the invitees list to attend an international event to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Among those not invited was the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

"We as a party must decide who we want to spend time with. The party has looked at a celebration which is for us a celebration of great nobility and in that celebration who will add to the colour and flavour of the celebration we have invited all of them. Anybody not invited or who is not present...if they feel left out, then they must find some reason to explain to themselves why they are feeling left out. This is after all something that we are doing that must give us pleasure, hope and strength. This is what we are doing," senior Congress leader and former union minister Salman Khurshid told mediapersons here.

"So, there is no point in doing something that will undermine our determination to give to Nehruji not just an exclusive attention of the Congress party, but, to celebrate the fact that we are associated with such a great leader of this country and the world in fact," he added.

According to reports, the Congress has invited various like-minded political parties from within the country and leaders from abroad for a conference in the national capital to commemorate the birth anniversary of Nehru.

TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa and JD( U) leader Nitish Kumar have also been invited. Conspicuously, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name doesn't feature in the list of invitees.