15 August, New Delhi: The seating arrangement during the Independence Day celebrations, in which Congress President Rahul Gandhi was allotted a place in the second last row, has opened a new front between the Congress and the BJP.
Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi was allotted a place in the second last row during Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort
Before the morning event concluded, social media was flooded with angry complaints from Congress leaders and supporters. The Defense Ministry, which was organizing the event, issued a statement, but it did not stop the outpouring of criticism.
The Leader of the Opposition, who has cabinet rank, is required by protocol to sit in the first row during ceremonial ceremonies. This year’s row included Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah, and S Jaishankar, among others.
Mr. Gandhi was seen sitting in the fifth row, behind Indian Olympic medalists. Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, two of India’s most successful shooters, and hockey players such as Indian Captain Harmanpreet Singh and goaltender PR Sreejesh were sitting ahead of him.
According to ministry sources, seating at ceremonial events is arranged in accordance with a hierarchy and convention. “This year, it was decided to honor Olympic Games medalists. According to a source, certain Union Ministers were also sat behind the Olympic Games medal winners.
Congress trashed the explanation.
“The Defense Ministry’s lame justification that it was out of “respect for Olympians” isn’t convincing. While Olympians deserve every bit of respect, I’m curious how Cabinet Ministers like Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman ji got front row seats ahead of them,” wrote senior Congress politician KC Venugopal on X, formerly Twitter.
“As per protocol, the LoPs of both Houses must be seated in the front row, but Rahul ji and INC President Shri Mallikarjun @kharge ji were seated in the fifth row.” This was an insult not only to the LoP position or Rahul ji, but also to the people of India, whose voice Rahul ji represents in Parliament” Mr. Venugopal added.
“The defense ministry issued a ridiculous statement, claiming that ‘this was done to honor Olympians’. They and Vinesh Phogat deserve to be honored, but did Amit Shah, J P Nadda, S Jaishankar, and Nirmala Sitharaman refuse to do so?” remarked party spokesman Supriya Shrinate.
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