Top News

Independence Day Event: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi were absent from the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi's Red Fort on Friday, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the national ceremony. Their absence marks the second year in a row that both senior Congress leaders have not attended the Independence Day programme, amid a long-running disagreement over seating arrangements and protocol at major national events.

Red Fort Absence Revives Old Seating Dispute

The latest no-show comes against the backdrop of a controversy that erupted during the 2024 Independence Day celebrations.

Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and enjoys Cabinet minister status, was seated in the second-last row during the Red Fort ceremony that year. The placement drew strong criticism from opposition parties, which described it as an "insult to the people".

The Defence Ministry, which oversees arrangements for the annual event, defended the seating plan at the time, saying changes had been made to accommodate Olympic athletes attending the function.

The Leader of the Opposition is generally accorded a prominent position at important state ceremonies under established protocol.

Government Had Promised Front-Row Placement

Ahead of this year's Independence Day event, the seating issue had again come under discussion.

Authorities had indicated that Gandhi would be seated immediately after Union Cabinet ministers, following objections from the Congress over his placement in the fifth row during the 2024 ceremony.

Defence Secretary RK Singh had also confirmed on Monday that Gandhi had been invited to attend the August 15 celebrations. He said the Congress leader's seating would be determined according to the official Table of Precedence (ToP).

Despite the clarification over his expected position, Gandhi did not attend the ceremony.

Congress Has Criticised Protocol Decisions

The Congress has repeatedly questioned the government's handling of seating arrangements involving its senior leaders.

Following the 2024 Independence Day event, the party accused the government of "pettiness" and alleged that placing Gandhi in the fifth row amounted to disregarding the importance of the Leader of the Opposition's office.

The party also raised objections after Gandhi and Kharge were seated in the third row at the Republic Day celebrations this year. Congress argued that the arrangements reflected a lack of respect for the constitutional position held by its senior leaders.

The Defence Ministry, however, has maintained that seating arrangements at the 2025 and 2026 Republic Day functions were made in accordance with the Table of Precedence.

Second Consecutive Independence Day No-Show

Gandhi had also skipped the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort in 2025. His absence this year therefore extends a pattern that has continued amid the wider disagreement over protocol and seating arrangements.

With Kharge also staying away from Friday's event, the absence of the Congress president and the Leader of Opposition once again drew attention to the strained political relationship between the opposition party and the government over ceremonial protocol.