Centre defends no invitation to Ansari for Yoga Day, says can't invite 'others' as guests when PM is Chief Guest

New Delhi: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Minister Shripad Naik on Monday defended the decision not to invite Vice President Hamid Ansari at the International Yoga Day event at Rajpath in the national capital on Sunday. Naik said that as per protocol when the Prime Minister is the Chief Guest at an event, the President and Vice President are not invited as guests.

The controversy rose after Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Madhav questioned Ansari's absence at Rajpath.

Naik, who was the incharge for organising the Yoga Day event, said, "As per the law when the Prime Minister the is chief guest, we don't invite President and Vice President as guests. This controversy should have been avoided. Ram madhav has apologised but he should avoided this."

As soon as Ansari's office said that he was not invited to the event, Madhav deleted his tweet questioning the Vice President 's absence. Madhav also apologised to Ansari saying he later learnt that the Vice President was unwell. The Vice President's office said that was not correct.

"Vice President was not sick. He was never invited for the yoga programme," it said, adding, "the Vice President only attends those programmes in which the Minister concerned invites him as per protocol".

The Congress has demanded an apology from Madhav. "He Should apologise. With tweets like this, he has disrespected big posts like a Vice Presidency post," said senior Congress leader RPN Singh.

Backing his party colleague, senior leader PL Punia said, "The Vice President's post is equally important. Not inviting him and asking questions about why he isn't there is not good. There is no point apologising after all this."