Why did Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge not attend Independence Day 2025 celebrations at Red Fort? Congress Tells
Independence Day 2025: Congress has given the reason for the absence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during the Independence Day-2025 celebrations. This is probably the first time since independence that none of the top opposition leaders were present at the Independence Day celebrations. Now the Congress itself has responded to this matter and said that this has been done to maintain the dignity of the Constitution.
Congress spokesperson Dr Ajay Upadhyay said that the post of the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha has been sitting in the next row after the Prime Minister with the status of a cabinet minister. He said that this has been the tradition in the government from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh.
Both Rahul and Kharge hold constitutional post
Ajay Upadhyay further said, no matter which party the Leader of the Opposition belongs to, there has been a rule to make him sit in the front row, but when Rahul Gandhi became the Leader of the Opposition, he was made to sit in the last row on the occasion of Independence Day last year.
Upadhyay said that both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are the leaders of the opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Both of them hold constitutional posts, this is a matter of dignity of the post, not a matter of any person.
This matter should not be politicized: Cong
Upadhyay further asserted that treating a person in a constitutional role in such a manner constitutes a violation of the dignity of the Constitution. Upadhyay argued that this matter should not be politicized. In response, BJP spokesperson RP Singh countered Upadhyay's claims by questioning the seating arrangements on that occasion.
Overall, the absence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort has escalated into a political issue, with both parties exchanging blame over the incident.
Prakash Kumar Pandey