Congress MP Shashi Tharoor remarked on how diplomacy is both symbolic and substantive. He commented on the gestures by PM Modi towards the Russian President Vladimir Putin since his arrival in India on December 4. However, he said the symbolism is not a substitute for the substance such a summit entails.
Tharoor also highlighted that in a healthy democracy, foreign visitors meet opposition leaders. He said it is unfortunate if they can't meet the visitors otherwise. His comments come after the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, called out the PM Modi-led government for its 'insecurity' in discouraging the visitors from meeting the opposition.