Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi did not attend the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort on Saturday, marking the second year in a row that the two senior Congress leaders were absent from the national ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rahul Gandhi had been invited to this year’s event. The Defence Ministry had earlier clarified that his seating would be decided according to the Table of Precedence, the protocol framework used for official and ceremonial occasions. As Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi holds a position equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet Minister under the official order of precedence.

SEATING ROW DATES BACK TO 2024

The absence of the two Congress leaders comes against the backdrop of a dispute over Rahul Gandhi’s seating at the Red Fort ceremony in 2024.

Gandhi, who had recently assumed the post of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition with Cabinet rank, was seated in the fifth row during that year’s Independence Day event. The Congress objected strongly, arguing that the seating did not appropriately reflect the status of the Leader of Opposition.

The Defence Ministry, however, said the arrangement was made to accommodate Indian athletes who had participated in the Olympics.

CONGRESS LEADERS ALSO MISSED 2025 EVENT

Gandhi and Kharge were absent from the Red Fort Independence Day ceremony again in 2025.

The issue of protocol and seating has continued to feature in the Congress' criticism of the government at major national functions. The party had also objected to the seating arrangement during the Republic Day celebrations, claiming that Gandhi and Kharge had been placed in the third row.

The government maintained that the arrangements followed established protocol.

WHAT IS THE TABLE OF PRECEDENCE?

The Table of Precedence lays down the order in which constitutional authorities and senior public officials are accorded ceremonial status at official functions.

The framework is based on the office and constitutional position held by an individual, rather than their political party. The Defence Ministry has repeatedly cited these rules while responding to questions about seating arrangements at national events.

With Gandhi and Kharge once again absent from the Red Fort ceremony, the issue of Congress participation in major national celebrations and the treatment of its senior leaders is likely to remain a political talking point.