New Delhi: The informal lunch hosted by the Prime Minister for President A P J Abdul Kalam turned into a political controversy on October 7 with the main Opposition Congress accusing Atal Behari Vajpayee of setting an "unhealthy precedent" through the unprecedented invitation.

"In our view, it is not a case of welcome breach of protocol or convention. The Prime Minister, in the first place, should not have extended an invitation to the President without any special occasion for an informal luncheon," party spokesman S Jaipal Reddy told reporters.

He, however, hastened to add the Congress was not casting any aspersions on the President saying, "We hold him in highest esteem and have nothing but undiluted admiration over his functioning."

Making it clear that "our quarrel is not over the menu but over the venue", he said the luncheon could have been organised at Hyderabad House instead of at the Prime Minister's residence.

Noting the distinction between the posts of President and the Prime Minister under the Constitution, he said it was subtle but crucial.

"We do not think that blurring of the distinction between these two posts should be allowed. This kind of familiarity sans formality between the two highest Constitutional functionaries should not be encouraged or repeated," he said.

When told that the President could have declined the invitation from the Prime Minister, Reddy said such a thing could have lent itself to misinterpretation. "The Prime Minister by extending the invitation formally did not leave the President with any option."

Asked whether the President was a "rubber stamp", he quipped, "Don't put such loaded words in my humble mouth."

On whether Congress president Sonia Gandhi was invited for the lunch, he said, "We are not worried about the guest list. It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister. We are not anxious to get into his exclusive club."

Asked as to why Congress was objecting to the informal lunch, Reddy said the President and the Prime Minister occupy two different spaces in Indian polity. "The President needs to be insulated from the functioning of other Constitutional dignitaries."

Replying to a question, Reddy said he was not aware whether any such informal lunch had been hosted for the President before.

Communist Party of India (CPI) national secretary D Raja also assailed the Prime Minister's hosting of the informal lunch for the President, terming it as "unprecedented and unusual".

He said it was not a gathering of all political parties and Constitutional authorities should avoid being present on such occasions.

PTI