New Delhi : Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi were absent from the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on Saturday, marking the second consecutive year they skipped the event. The national ceremony was led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presided over the Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort.
Rahul Gandhi had been invited to this year’s Independence Day event, with the Defence Ministry saying his seating would be determined according to the official Table of Precedence. Under the Warrant of Precedence issued by the President’s Secretariat, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition has a rank equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet Minister. In 2024, Rahul Gandhi, who had been appointed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha with Cabinet rank, was seated in the fifth row at the Red Fort.
The Congress criticised the arrangement, alleging that the government had insulted the office of the LoP and displayed “pettiness”. The Defence Ministry, however, said the seating arrangement was made to accommodate Olympians attending the ceremony. The Congress has repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of its leaders at national ceremonial events. It had also criticised the seating arrangements at this year’s Republic Day celebrations, alleging that Gandhi and Kharge were seated in the third row.
The Table of Precedence governs seating and protocol at state and ceremonial occasions and is based on constitutional rank and office rather than political affiliation. Relations between the ruling party and the Opposition deteriorated further during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded on Thursday amid repeated disruptions and low productivity. Both sides blamed each other for the session’s poor performance.
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