NEW DELHI — Highlightening the deepening political divide in the capital, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Red Fort on Friday.
This marks the second straight year the top Congress leadership has been absent from the official national day address. The decision underscores ongoing tensions between the ruling government and the opposition, which reached a flashpoint following the 2024 Independence Day ceremony. During that event, Gandhi—who holds Cabinet-minister status as Opposition Leader—was seated in the second-to-last row, sparking intense political debate over protocol adherence.
While the Defence Ministry previously cited seating adjustments to accommodate visiting Olympic athletes, the Opposition framed the placement as a breach of long-standing parliamentary tradition, which typically accords the Leader of the Opposition a front-row seat.
The Red Fort absence follows a turbulent parliamentary session that concluded earlier this week. Characterized by frequent disruptions, low productivity, and sharp exchanges between the Treasury and Opposition benches, the session ended with key Opposition parties boycotting the customary post-adjournment tea hosted by the Speaker—a posture of protest that has now extended to state ceremonial events.
