New Delhi, (The Telegraph): The Congress tonight boycotted a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dignitaries participating in the India-Africa Forum Summit - the first time in recent memory the party has done so.

In order to hammer home its message and draw a clear distinction, the Congress will attend the official banquet hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee tomorrow.

Top sources told The Telegraph the reason for the boycott was the government's perceived attempt to erase or play down the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of India-Africa relations.

There was no mention of Nehru in external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj's formal speeches or statements at the summit. Congress sources underscored that Sushma's speech was only being cited as an example and there were many other instances that smacked of attempts to paper over Nehru's contributions in the making of modern India.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress leaders in the two Houses of Parliament, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mallikarjun Kharge, were invited to the dinner at Pragati Maidan tonight. Sonia Gandhi did not have any invitation.

The Congress has extremely close ties with African nations and some of the leaders there consider Nehru as their idol.

"There is a difference between the government and the President. We will certainly be represented at the President's banquet. But the Prime Minister has been personally guiding this government to destroy Nehru's legacy and says India didn't command any respect in the global community before 2014. This is the reason why even Manmohan Singh chose not to attend the dinner tonight," a Congress leader said.

Asked if the visiting dignitaries would meet Congress leaders, a source said Namibian President Hage Geingob met Sonia and Manmohan today and some others may try to meet them tomorrow but "this government is not encouraging this kind of engagement".

Although acrimony is not uncommon in power politics, Modi has been accused of going out of his way to pick on opponents, especially when he is abroad, and ruin chances of any consensus.

Economist and journalist Arun Shourie, while delivering his "Congress plus a cow" description of the Modi government on Monday, had also said: "In India, you can't do things unless you take everyone along.... But if I get up every morning and start a boxing match, how can I take people along?"

Photo credit: The Telegraph