KHARGE AND RAHUL GANDHI’S ABSENCE FROM RED FORT 'AGAIN'

For the second consecutive year, top Congress leaders boycott the official Independence Day ceremony over ceremonial seating friction, raising sharp questions about institutional decorum.

Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi address a press conference in Delhi earlier this week. (Photo: PTI)

NEW DELHI: For the second consecutive year, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge opted to skip the 80th Independence Day celebrations led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort. While both leaders hoisted the national flag at party offices and shared celebratory messages across social platforms, their absence from the state function underscored lingering structural friction between the government and the main opposition bloc.

According to party sources, the decision to stay away stemmed directly from ceremonial seating protocols that the opposition claims fail to reflect constitutional standing. Under official precedence, the Leader of the Opposition holds a rank equivalent to a Union Cabinet Minister. However, previous allocations—such as the 2024 ceremony where Gandhi was seated in the back rows—have fueled ongoing grievances regarding executive conduct at national events.

The government and organizers maintained that seating layouts strictly adhere to official protocols, often prioritizing special guests such as Olympic athletes or visiting dignitaries in front seating blocks.  Nevertheless, the repeated absence of the primary opposition leadership on a national day of unity highlights a troubling breakdown in bipartisan traditions, leaving observers to debate whether the issue reflects systemic protocol mismanagement or deepening partisan divide.