Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge Skip Red Fort Celebrations, BJP Hits Out
There was no official statement from the opposition party or the two leaders but sources suggested Mr Gandhi gave the event a miss after he was upset with the seating arrangement last year.
The two leaders extended their greetings to all 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!" Mr Gandhi said.
Mr Kharge said: "Independence Day is a solemn occasion to rededicate ourselves to values of Freedom, Justice, Equality and Fraternity, cherished by our Democracy."
Mr Kharge attended the Independence Day celebrations at the Congress party headquarters and Mr Gandhi at Indira Bhawan, in the Capital.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, however, took a swipe at Mr Gandhi, who is 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 said in a post on X.
Last year, a controversy erupted during the Independence Day celebrations when Mr Gandhi, who enjoys the status of a Cabinet minister, sat in the second last row - in a departure from tradition and protocol - for the programme at the Red Fort.
The Opposition called the allocation of the seat to the Congress MP an insult to the people, even as the Defence Ministry, which organised the event, argued that the arrangement was tweaked to accommodate Olympians on the premises.
As per the protocol, the Leader of Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events. Last year, that row was occupied by then Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah and S Jaishankar among others.
Mr Gandhi was seen seated in the fifth row, behind the Indian Olympic medalists. Star Indian shooters Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, and hockey players, including Indian Captain Harmanpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, were seated ahead of him.
Sources in the Defence Ministry said the seating arrangement at ceremonial events follows a table of precedence and protocol. "This year, it was decided to honour the Olympic Games medal winners. It may be noted that some Union Ministers were also seated behind the Olympic Games medal winners," a source said.
The explanation was, however, shredded by the Congress. Congress leader KC Venugopal said the explanation did not "cut much ice". "While Olympians deserve every bit of respect, I wonder how Cabinet Ministers like Amit Shah or Nirmala Sitharaman ji get front row seats ahead of them," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
NCERT's Partition Module Sparks Political Clash, BJP Demands Historical Accountability
The release of NCERT's special module on Partition Horrors Remembrance Day has sparked a heated political debate. Congress leaders Pawan Khera and Sandeep Dikshit criticized the curriculum, alleging it distorts history, omits significant events from 1938 to 1942, and ignores the role of the Hindu Mahasabha-Muslim League alliance in India's partition. They demanded a thorough discussion on the topic and questioned BJP's influence over NCERT. In response, BJP spokespersons Gaurav Bhatia and Shehzad Poonawalla defended the module, saying it now presents the truth about Partition, including religion-based divisions and Jinnah's role, while accusing Congress of appeasement and historical misrepresentation. The clash highlights deep ideological differences and has intensified scrutiny over how India's history is taught in schools.
Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Manipur Governor gets additional charge of Nagaland after La Ganesan's death
Following Nagaland Governor La Ganesan's death, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been given the additional charge of discharging those functions. The Rashtrapati Bhavan made the announcement Saturday evening. La Ganesan, a veteran organiser for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and one of BJP's longest-serving leaders in Tamil Nadu, died in Chennai Friday. Bhalla, who was formerly Union Home Secretary, was appointed Manipur governor in December 2024, less than two months ahead of President's Rule being imposed in the state in February this year. He had been the Union Home Secretary when the ongoing conflict in the state had begun on May 3 2023, and with the imposition of President's Rule — which has now been extended for another six months — is effectively in charge of administering the state. While there has been a significant decrease in active violence between Manipur's Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities — the last major cycle of violence between the two communities was in November last year — there is yet to be a breakthrough in dialogue between representatives between of the two communities, and they are currently not in talks with each other. Under his charge, the government in Manipur has aimed to address several key challenges in the state. This includes a call for people on both sides to surrender arms and ammunition looted from the state's armouries and an attempt to open up the state's highways for free movement of both communities through areas where the other community is in the majority. While the former was met with limited success, the latter misfired, with the state witnessing violence on the first day itself. The government is also currently trying to facilitate the resettlement of people displaced by the conflict. As Union Home Secretary, he oversaw the security situation after the scrapping of Jammu and Kashmir's special status in 2019, and the anti-CAA protests across the country. He was the chief nodal officer overseeing the COVID-19 lockdown.
Indian Express
18 minutes ago
- Indian Express
US team scraps visit, trade talks with India stuck on agri hurdle
The India-US negotiations for a trade deal, which began in February after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the United States, have come to a halt, and the US negotiators' scheduled visit to India later this month stands cancelled, a source aware of the development told The Indian Express. The breakdown in trade talks assumes significance as US President Donald Trump has announced 50 per cent tariff on Indian products, the highest on any country globally. While 25 per cent tariff has already come into effect, government officials have said the levy of another 25 per cent – for Russia oil trade — could depend on 'how geopolitical events unfold'. The Indian Express had first reported on August 8 that the negotiations for a trade agreement had hit a pause, and the arrival of the US trade team was uncertain, as no formal communication had been received from their side. The deal has been stuck over India's long-standing stance of protecting farmers in every trade agreement. The US, under Trump, is prioritising market access for its agricultural products. In his Independence Day speech on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that India would not compromise on the well-being of its farmers, fisherfolk and cattle keepers, amid the standoff with the US over access for American products in India's agriculture and dairy market. On August 7, too, after Trump announced the additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, Modi had said that he would not compromise 'even if it entailed paying a very heavy personal price'. The geopolitical factor The uncertainty over when the tariffs on India could ease may drag on, as Trump's high-stakes talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin did not result in a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire. However, Trump said he and Putin had made progress during the meeting in Alaska. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that the secondary tariffs on India could increase if 'things don't go well' during the Trump-Putin talks. 'I think everyone has been frustrated with President Putin. We expected that he would come to the table in a more fulsome way. It looks like he may be ready to negotiate. And we put secondary tariffs on the Indians for buying Russian oil. I could see, if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,' Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg earlier.
