Ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit, the Congress on Thursday accused the Centre of breaking with the long-standing diplomatic convention.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said visiting foreign dignitaries were being discouraged from meeting him, a practice he described as a mark of the government’s “insecurity”.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Gandhi said successive governments, from the Vajpayee era to the Manmohan Singh years, had upheld the norm of ensuring that the LoP met foreign leaders. He claimed that this convention was being quietly abandoned.

“The government does not represent India alone. Meetings with the Opposition leader offer an alternative viewpoint and reflect the democratic character of the country. But during my v

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