New Delhi: A controversy erupted after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence
Day celebrations led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Delhi’s iconic Red Fort on Saturday (August 15), for the second consecutive year. Sources told Times Now that the decision to skip the event was linked to the seating arrangements. According to the sources, both leaders were of the view that the seating plan was not in accordance with protocol. The sources also pointed to concerns over the event’s seating plan, lineup, and other arrangements. Earlier, Defence Secretary RK Singh, addressing a press conference, had said that Gandhi was invited to the event and the seating arrangements for the invitees would be followed as per the Table of Precedence (ToP). Singh said as per ToP, Gandhi's seat would be after the cabinet ministers. Notably, in 2024, the Congress had raised objections after Rahul Gandhi was seated in the back row during the Independence Day celebrations. That time a row erupted after he was seen seated in the second-last row for the Red Fort programme, a departure from tradition and protocol, given that as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha he holds the status of a cabinet minister. Controversy Erupts After Vande Mataram Played AT Congress Headquarters: On Saturday, Kharge hoisted the flag at the party headquarters in the national capital. Party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi attended the celebrations. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders alleged that Kharge and former Congress chief Soni Gandhi attempted to halt the rendition of 'Vande Mataram.' A video surfaced on social media in which the two leaders were seen gesturing while the full version of 'Vande Mataram' was being played at the party's Independence Day celebrations at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi. The BJP's Gujarat unit accused the Congress of "insulting" the national song. “For vote-bank politics, Congress has once again insulted Vande Mataram," it posted on X. Responding to these allegations, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the full version of 'Vande Mataram' was sung at the event and that there was no attempt to stop it. He clarified that Sonia Gandhi had merely asked for a chair to be brought for Kharge, who had been standing for an extended period, given his age.
