India, Dec. 5 -- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been invited to attend Friday night's State dinner hosted for Russian President Vladimir Putin, even as senior leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge were left out of the guest list, media reports said.

Tharoor, who chairs the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, confirmed he had accepted the invitation, calling it "a courtesy extended to the head of the committee".

However, his decision to attend has triggered discomfort within the Congress.

The absence of invitations to Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge comes barely a day after Rahul accused the government of preventing visiting foreign leaders from meeting opposition figures.

Citing diplomatic tradition followe...