The Congress party on Thursday criticized the government for seating Rahul Gandhi in the fifth row during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, accusing the ruling BJP of disrespecting the Leader of the Opposition.

Rahul Gandhi was seen seated several rows behind Union Cabinet Ministers and members of the Indian contingent that participated in the Paris Olympics, sparking controversy. The position of the Leader of the Opposition is considered equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister, leading to questions about the seating arrangement.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating, "Modi ji, it's time to acknowledge the new reality after June 4th. Your decision to place Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi ji in the last rows during the Independence Day ceremony shows you have not learned your lesson."

Venugopal referenced the June 4 Lok Sabha election results, where the Congress-led INDIA bloc prevented the BJP from securing a clear majority. Although the BJP-led NDA alliance retained power for a third term, the reduced mandate resulted in a stronger opposition in Parliament.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore expressed disappointment over Rahul Gandhi being seated in the fourth row, recalling that former opposition leaders like Advani and Swaraj were given due respect before 2014. "Why is Modiji stooping so low, @rajnathsingh ji?" he questioned.

Sources within the Ministry of Defence, which oversees the Independence Day event and seating arrangements, explained that Rahul Gandhi was moved back to accommodate Olympic medalists in the front rows.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is typically seated in the first few rows. Notably, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, was also assigned a seat in the fifth row, but he did not attend the event.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate accused the Prime Minister of showing "frustration" by relegating Rahul Gandhi to the fifth row, but added that this would not deter Gandhi from raising public issues.

In a tweet, the Telangana Congress criticized the seating arrangement, stating, "LoP Rahul Gandhi was made to sit in the fifth row during the Independence Day celebration. LoP is of the same rank as a Cabinet minister. All other ministers were sitting in the first row."

The Telangana Congress also dismissed the Defence Ministry's explanation, saying, "The ministry’s clarification about respecting Olympians is absurd. Does that mean Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nirmala, Jaishankar, and Nadda don’t respect Olympians?"

The party's Telangana unit further stated, "This behavior is unacceptable. It may not affect Rahul Gandhi, but it needs to be called out. He makes them uncomfortable by speaking truth to power and holding them accountable on public issues."