Kharge, Rahul Gandhi Skip Red Fort Independence Day Event For Second Year In A Row

I depe de ce
Day
Eve t:& bsp;Co g ess
p eside t
Mallika ju
Kha ge
a d
Leade
of
Oppositio
i
the
Lok
Sabha
Rahul
Ga dhi
we e
abse t
f om
the
80th
I depe de ce
Day
celeb atio s
at
Delhi’s
Red
Fo t
o
F iday,
whe e
P ime
Mi iste
Na e d a
Modi
led
the
atio al
ce emo y.
Thei
abse ce
ma ks
the
seco d
yea
i
a
ow
that
both
se io
Co g ess
leade s
have
ot
atte ded
the
I depe de ce
Day
p og amme,
amid
a
lo g- u i g
disag eeme t
ove
seati g
a a geme ts
a d
p otocol
at
majo
atio al
eve ts.

Red
Fo t
Abse ce
Revives
Old
Seati g
Dispute

The
latest
o-show
comes
agai st
the
backd op
of
a
co t ove sy
that
e upted
du i g
the
2024
I depe de ce
Day
celeb atio s.

Ga dhi,
who
is
the
Leade
of
the
Oppositio
i
the
Lok
Sabha
a d
e joys
Cabi et
mi iste
status,
was
seated
i
the
seco d-last
ow
du i g
the
Red
Fo t
ce emo y
that
yea .
The
placeme t
d ew
st o g
c iticism
f om
oppositio
pa ties,
which
desc ibed
it
as
a
“i sult
to
the
people”.

The
Defe ce
Mi ist y,
which
ove sees
a a geme ts
fo
the
a ual
eve t,
defe ded
the
seati g
pla
at
the
time,
sayi g
cha ges
had
bee
made
to
accommodate
Olympic
athletes
atte di g
the
fu ctio .

The
Leade
of
the
Oppositio
is
ge e ally
acco ded
a
p omi e t
positio
at
impo ta t
state
ce emo ies
u de
established
p otocol.

ALSO
READ:

PM
Modi& squo;s
I depe de ce
Day
Speech:
Atma i bha
Bha at,
Chips,
Nuclea
Powe
&
2047
Visio
|
Top
Poi ts

Gove me t
Had
P omised
F o t-Row
Placeme t

Ahead
of
this
yea ‘s
I depe de ce
Day
eve t,
the
seati g
issue
had
agai
come
u de
discussio .

Autho ities
had
i dicated
that
Ga dhi
would
be
seated
immediately
afte
U io
Cabi et
mi iste s,
followi g
objectio s
f om
the
Co g ess
ove
his
placeme t
i
the
fifth
ow
du i g
the
2024
ce emo y.

Defe ce
Sec eta y
RK
Si gh
had
also
co fi med
o
Mo day
that
Ga dhi
had
bee
i vited
to
atte d
the
August
15
celeb atio s.
He
said
the
Co g ess
leade ‘s
seati g
would
be
dete mi ed
acco di g
to
the
official
Table
of
P ecede ce
(ToP).

Despite
the
cla ificatio
ove
his
expected
positio ,
Ga dhi
did
ot
atte d
the
ce emo y.

ALSO
READ:

PM
Modi
Hoists
Natio al
Flag
At
Red
Fo t
O
80th
I depe de ce
Day:
WATCH

Co g ess
Has
C iticised
P otocol
Decisio s

The
Co g ess
has
epeatedly
questio ed
the
gove me t’s
ha dli g
of
seati g
a a geme ts
i volvi g
its
se io
leade s.

Followi g
the
2024
I depe de ce
Day
eve t,
the
pa ty
accused
the
gove me t
of
“petti ess”
a d
alleged
that
placi g
Ga dhi
i
the
fifth
ow
amou ted
to
dis ega di g
the
impo ta ce
of
the
Leade
of
the
Oppositio ‘s
office.

The
pa ty
also
aised
objectio s
afte
Ga dhi
a d
Kha ge
we e
seated
i
the
thi d
ow
at
the
Republic
Day
celeb atio s
this
yea .
Co g ess
a gued
that
the
a a geme ts
eflected
a
lack
of
espect
fo
the
co stitutio al
positio
held
by
its
se io
leade s.

The
Defe ce
Mi ist y,
howeve ,
has
mai tai ed
that
seati g
a a geme ts
at
the
2025
a d
2026
Republic
Day
fu ctio s
we e
made
i
acco da ce
with
the
Table
of
P ecede ce.

Seco d
Co secutive
I depe de ce
Day
No-Show

Ga dhi
had
also
skipped
the
I depe de ce
Day
ce emo y
at
the

Red
Fo t
i
2025.
His
abse ce
this
yea
the efo e
exte ds
a
patte
that
has
co ti ued
amid
the
wide
disag eeme t
ove
p otocol
a d
seati g
a a geme ts.

With
Kha ge
also
stayi g
away
f om
F iday’s
eve t,
the
abse ce
of
the
Co g ess
p eside t
a d
the
Leade
of
Oppositio
o ce
agai
d ew
atte tio
to
the
st ai ed
political
elatio ship
betwee
the
oppositio
pa ty
a d
the
gove me t
ove
ce emo ial
p otocol.

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