Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Monday said that the focus should be on what the US President Barack Obama has done towards the joint declaration that was issued when the latter visited India in 2009 rather than giving importance to the invitation being sent to him for the Republic Day parade.
"He had come here even in 2009; there was a joint declaration then. You need to see what has been done on that front, what steps were taken regarding that when Prime Minister Modi went to the US. Look at these things instead of paying attention to invitations," Aiyar told media here.
Aiyar further called Barack Obama a 'lame duck' president.
When asked to comment on US President Barack Obama accepting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to be the chief guest for the republic day parade, Aiyar said, "What is the big deal in that, nobody else is inviting him so he is accepting the invite, he is a 'lame duck' president."
U.S. President Obama was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the Republic Day celebrations, which marks the enactment of India's constitution on January 26, 1950.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation, to be the chief guest at Republic Day celebrations in January next year was accepted by the U.S. President, Barack Obama.
The White House said that Obama will meet Prime Minister Modi and other Indian officials to strengthen and expand US-India relationship.