Chinese President Xi Jinping skipped a gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for leaders attending the BRICS Summit, other participating countries and international organisations, sources aware of the matter said. Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, who left for home after attending the summit during the day, was also absent.
The reason for Xi's absence was not immediately known, though a source suggested that he had returned to his hotel to rest. Xi had arrived in Delhi on Saturday afternoon, attended the BRICS Summit and also held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi. He is in India after seven years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders attended the dinner. Union ministers Amit Shah, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shivraj Singh Chouhan were present.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also at the event, along with leaders including Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Union ministers and chief ministers travelled in two buses from Parliament House to the dinner venue at Bharat Mandapam. The menu included khandvi mille-feuille, khumb galouti, paneer lababdar, gucchi marmik, carrot-bean poriyal and millet pulao. Desserts included Old Delhi fruit cream with jalebi and shahtoot phirni.
India is hosting the BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13, with leaders of the 11 member countries and 10 partner countries attending, along with some international organisations. The dinner was attended by several BRICS leaders and Indian dignitaries, while Xi and the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince were among the notable absentees.
