Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba arrived in Goa, India, on Friday to participate in India Ideas Conclave 2016 organised by India Foundation.

The conclave is bringing together policy-makers and public intellectuals from India and abroad. Over 350 intellectuals including government leaders, corporate leaders, scholars, politicians and social activists will participate in the event to exchange ideas and opinions “in a candid and scholarly atmosphere”, the foundation said.

Deuba was invited as one of the guest speakers to share his opinion on the conclave’s central theme, “India at 70-Democracy, Development and Dissent”.

A system that does not allow dissent will collapse, Deuba told the session.

“Dissent is not only safeguarding of democracy but also vanguard of development. Development projects fail if it does not represent democratic aspirations of the citizens,” he said.

The NC president is due to leave for New Delhi on Saturday evening. There, he is scheduled to meet with Indian political leaders and government officials.

Sources said that Deuba will also hold a meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Delhi visit by NC president comes at a time when the political parties in Nepal are working to register a constitution amendment motion in Parliament in an attempt to address the demands of the agitating Madhes-based parties.