New Delhi: The stage is set for an extravagant prelude to the G20 Summit, with President Droupadi Murmu hosting a special dinner in Delhi on Saturday. The guest list for this prestigious event encompasses an impressive array of attendees, including cabinet ministers, state ministers, government secretaries, and various distinguished individuals. Distinguished Chief Ministers such as Nitish Kumar, Hemant Soren, Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Arvind Kejriwal, and Bhagwant Mann have confirmed their attendance, underscoring the global importance of the event.
Moreover, former Prime Ministers Dr. Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have received invitations to this momentous occasion. However, Deve Gowda has expressed his inability to attend due to health reasons, while there has been no confirmation from Congress leader Manmohan Singh, who has been dealing with health concerns for an extended period. Interestingly, the guest list does not extend to leaders of political parties. Notably absent from the invitations is Congress Chief and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, despite his cabinet minister rank.
A warm welcome to all Heads of Delegations of the G20 nations, Guest countries, and International Organisations participating in the 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi.
India's G20 Presidency theme, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future’, is a global roadmap for…
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 9, 2023
The distinguished guest list for the upcoming G20 special dinner, hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, promises a gathering of exceptional significance. Notable attendees include President Murmu herself, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, along with his wife Sudesh Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former President Ram Nath Kovind, and former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu.
The cabinet ministers who have graciously accepted their invitations to the event include prominent figures such as Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Narendra Singh Tomar, S Jaishankar, Arjun Munda, Smriti Irani, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Pralhad Joshi, among others. In addition to the cabinet ministers, a distinguished lineup of Union ministers will also grace the occasion. Notable attendees include Narayan Rane, Sarbananda Sonowal, Virendra Kumar, Giriraj Singh, Jyotiraditya Nath Sindhiya, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Pashupati Kumar Paras, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Kiran Rijiju, Rajkumar Singh, Hardeep Singh Puri, Mansukh Mandaviya, Bhupendra Yadav, Mahendra Nath Pandey, Purushotam Rupala, G Kishan Reddy, and Anurag Thakur.
The list extends to Ministers of State, who will also join the esteemed gathering. Their names include Rao Indrajeet Singh, Jitendra Singh, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Shripad Yasho Naik, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Prahlad Singh Patel, Ashwini Kumar Chaubey, Vijay Kumar Singh, Krishna Pal Gurjar, Rao Sahab Patil, Ramdas Athavale, Sadhvi Niranjana Jyoti, Sanjiv Kumar Baliyan, Nityanand Rai, Pankaj Chaudhari, Anupriya Patel, SP Singh Baghel, Rajiv Chandrashekhar, Shobha Karandalaje, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Darshana Jardosh, V. Muraleedharan, Meenakshi Lekhi, Som Prakash, Renuka Singh, Rameswar Teli, Kailash Chaudhary, Annpurna Devi, A Narayan Swami, Kaushal Kishor, Ajay Bhatt, BL Verma, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Debu Singh Chauhan, Bhagwat Khuba, Kapil Moreshwar Patil, Pratima Bhaumik, Subhash Sarkar, Bhagwat Krishna Rao Karad, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Bhartiya Pravin Pawar, Visheshwar Tudu, Sukant Thakur, Mahendra Bhai, John Barla, Dr Ilmurugan, and Nisith Pramanik.
The event’s grandeur extends further with the presence of other distinguished individuals, including the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, Girish Chandra Murmu, Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, along with numerous other important officials and distinguished guests.
The chief ministers who have been cordially invited to partake in this prestigious dinner comprise a remarkable roster of leaders from various states across the nation. This inclusive list encompasses Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu of Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of Delhi, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant of Goa, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel of Gujarat, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of Haryana, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Hemant Soren of Jharkhand, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of Karnataka, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of Kerala, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of Maharashtra, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh of Manipur, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma of Meghalaya, Chief Minister Zoramthanga of Mizoram, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of Odisha, Chief Minister Rangaswami of Puducherry, Chief Minister Bhagwan Singh Mann of Punjab, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, Chief Minister PS Golai of Sikkim, Chief Minister MK Stalin of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao of Telangana, Chief Minister Manik Shah of Tripura, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami of Uttarakhand, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal.
Some unexpected developments have emerged regarding the attendance of certain Indian Chief Ministers at the special dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel recently conveyed his regrets, citing limitations on air travel in and around Delhi as the reason for his inability to attend this evening’s G20 dinner.
@ministryofhome1 countered #Chhattisgarh CM @bhupeshbaghel claim that he was not attending President’s #G20 dinner due to air restrictions in and around New Delhi stating that the movement of CMs was allowed on their respective aircrafts. pic.twitter.com/cf46xv2lGG
— RASHMI DROLIA (@rashmidTOI) September 9, 2023
In response to Baghel’s announcement, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a statement on ‘X,’ acknowledging the Chief Minister’s concerns. The ministry clarified, “In a news report, Chief Minister Chhattisgarh has expressed his inability to participate in the G20 Dinner at Leaders’ Summit at Delhi on 9th September 2023 due to air restrictions in and around Delhi.” The Ministry of Home Affairs further explained, “MHA has clarified to the State that while a high-tech security air cover has been deployed for the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Delhi from 8th to 11th September 2023, the movement of Governors and State Chief Ministers on their State aircraft is allowed.”
Meanwhile, another twist unfolded when Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also announced that he would not be able to attend the G20 special dinner hosted by President Murmu. Gehlot claimed that approval for his helicopter flight had been denied by the Ministry of Home Affairs, raising eyebrows and generating controversy.
In response to Gehlot’s assertion, the Ministry of Home Affairs swiftly addressed the situation. They clarified, “In a news report, the Rajasthan Chief Minister has claimed denial of approval for his helicopter flight by the MHA. Four requests were received from CM Rajasthan for flight permissions, including for Sikar, and all were approved by the MHA,” putting to rest any doubt regarding the approvals for the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s travel plans.
The eagerly anticipated G20 Summit, scheduled for September 9-10 in Delhi, will play host to top leaders from various countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union. The summit will be held at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, which has been lavishly decorated to welcome foreign delegates.
The President’s G20 dinner, set for Saturday, will unfold in a brand-new USD 300-million venue designed in the shape of a conch shell. The menu will feature Indian cuisine with a special emphasis on millets, a grain promoted by the country.
Adding to the splendor of the evening, a three-hour concert titled ‘Bharat Vadya Darshanam: Musical Journey of India,’ by the ‘Gaandharva Aatodyam’ group, will showcase Indian classical musical instruments such as santoor, saranagi, jal tarang, and shehnai, offering a captivating experience for the world leaders in attendance. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will personally welcome leaders from all participating countries at the venue, where he will also host a working lunch for them on Saturday, further enhancing the summit’s international significance.
What is Bharat Mandapam?
Bharat Mandapam, derived from Sanskrit, translates to “Hall of India.” This grand facility is situated in New Delhi and stands as a pivotal component of the Pragati Maidan redevelopment initiative. Designed to accommodate large-scale international exhibitions, trade fairs, conventions, and esteemed events, it serves as a testament to India’s architectural prowess and cultural heritage. The name Bharat Mandapam pays homage to the ancient Indian tradition of constructing mandapams, expansive halls or pavilions utilized for communal gatherings and ceremonies. These mandapams found their place not only in temples and religious settings but also in secular contexts, such as trade fairs and festivals.
The world’s tallest 28 feet tall statue of Nataraj at Bharat Mandapam adds to the state-of-the-art grandeur of one of the world’s most magnificent conference venues as it waits to host #G20SummitDelhi #BharatMandapam #G20 #G20Bharat #G20Summit2023 pic.twitter.com/f6vIf7dCvF
— Chandra Mani Bhardwaj सनातनी 🇮🇳 (@CMBhardwaj1) September 8, 2023
Bharat Mandapam embodies a contemporary interpretation of these traditional mandapams. Featuring a vast, open space crowned by a soaring roof supported by columns, this multifaceted venue offers flexibility and adaptability to cater to a wide array of events. The inspiration behind Bharat Mandapam can be traced back to the concept of Anubhav Mandapam, a platform for public ceremonies conceived by Lord Basaveshwara, a 12th-century Indian philosopher and social reformer. Open to the public, Bharat Mandapam is fully equipped to support the nation’s journey towards modernity and development.
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