NEW DELHI — Demonstrating the unresolved friction between the government and the main Opposition party, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi abstained from the 80th Independence Day proceedings at the Red Fort on Friday.
The joint absence of the senior Congress leaders marks the second consecutive year they have skipped the flagship national address delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ongoing boycott has its roots in the 2024 ceremony, where Gandhi—holding Cabinet-minister equivalent rank as Opposition Leader—was assigned a seat in the second-to-last row, igniting a fierce debate over protocol compliance.
While official organizers attributed the prior seating layout to accommodating returning Olympic athletes, the Opposition maintained that bypassing established parliamentary seating arrangements undermined the dignity of the constitutional post.
The decision to skip the national event follows a tumultuous parliamentary session that wrapped up earlier this week. Clouded by low legislative productivity and persistent disruptions, the session ended with key Opposition parties skipping the Speaker’s traditional post-adjournment gathering, signaling a continuation of their protest posture.
