Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party leader Mallikarjun Kharge skipped the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on Friday, prompting speculation over the reasons behind their absence.
No official statement was issued by the opposition party or the two leaders, but sources indicated that Gandhi avoided the event after being upset with the seating arrangement last year.
Both leaders extended their greetings to citizens by paying tribute to the country’s freedom fighters on social media. "This freedom, achieved through the sacrifices of great freedom fighters, is a resolve to build an India where justice rests on the foundation of truth and equality, and every heart is filled with respect and brotherhood. It is the duty of all of us to protect the pride and honor of this precious heritage. Jai Hind, Jai Bharat!" Gandhi said.
Kharge stated: "Independence Day is a solemn occasion to rededicate ourselves to values of Freedom, Justice, Equality and Fraternity, cherished by our Democracy."
Kharge attended the Independence Day celebrations at the Congress party headquarters, while Gandhi marked the occasion at Indira Bhawan in the Capital.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, however, criticised Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, over his absence at the event.
"Congress spokesperson in tv debate with me just now confirmed that 'LoP' Rahul Gandhi skipped 15th August Program at Red Fort. This was a national celebration but sadly Lover of Pakistan Rahul Gandhi - in Modi virodh does Desh & Sena Virodh! Shameful behaviour. Is this Sanvidhan and Sena ka Samman?" he wrote in a post on X.
Last year, a controversy arose during the Independence Day celebrations when Mr. Gandhi, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister, was seated in the second-last row at the Red Fort programme, breaking with tradition and established protocol.
The opposition criticized the seating arrangement as an insult to the people, while the Defence Ministry, which organised the event, explained that the placement had been adjusted to accommodate Olympians on the premises.
As per protocol, the Leader of Opposition is typically seated in the front row during ceremonial events. However, last year that row was occupied by then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah, and S. Jaishankar, among others.
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