Congress embarrassed by absence of top leaders and India map controversy at Bharat Summit in Hyderabad

The two-day summit is being hosted by the Samruddha Bharat Foundation, an organisation backed by the Congress party. Around 450 delegates from various countries were expected to attend and engage in discussions on global justice, equity, and progressive cooperation.

Hyderabad: The absence of many All India Congress Committee (AICC) senior leaders, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on day-one of Bharat Summit on Friday, fuelled apprehensions of the Congress high command cold shouldering Telangana Congress.

Interestingly, the two-day event is being organized by Samruddha Bharat Foundation, a Congress backed outfit. It was said 450 delegates from different countries would participate in the event to deliberate on global justice, equity and progressive cooperation.

---

Initially, it was announced that AICC Chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi would participate in the inaugural event on day one however the duo did not turn up.

Though a section of party leaders are playing down Rahul Gandhi’s absence at the event citing his visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, other leaders are dejected.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was also to participate in the summit on Friday but skipped the programme at the last minute. Save for a few AICC leaders, including Salman Khurshid, Digvijay Singh and a few others, not many senior leaders attended the summit on Friday.

To make matters worse, the Congress was left embarrassed after India map posters without PoJK and Ladakh featured at the Bharat Summit. After controversy broke out, the organisers immediately cleared the posters.

Amidst all these issues, there is a buzz in the party that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi would participate in the summit at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Senior AICC leaders are likely to accompany him.