In summary,
- Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition, was observed seated in the second-to-last row.
- This marks the first occasion in a decade that a Leader of the Opposition has attended an event at the Red Fort.
- According to government sources, the front rows were designated for Olympic medallists.
During the 78th Independence Day celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the historic Red Fort, while images of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi seated in the second last row alongside Olympic medallists generated considerable discussion on social media. This marked the first occasion in ten years that a Leader of the Opposition attended the Independence Day festivities at the Red Fort. Dressed in a white kurta-pyjama, Rahul Gandhi was positioned next to Gurjant Singh, a forward from India’s hockey team. The front rows featured prominent Olympic medallists, including Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, as well as members of the bronze-winning hockey team, such as captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh, who were seated in front of Rahul Gandhi.
In accordance with established protocol, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who holds a rank equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister, is consistently allocated a seat in the front row. This front row was occupied by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah, and S Jaishankar.
What the Govt. said :
The seating arrangement of Rahul Gandhi has sparked discussions on social media, with sources from the Ministry of Defence indicating that the Congress Member of Parliament had to be relocated as the front rows were designated for Olympic medalists. The Ministry of Defence oversees the organization of the Independence Day event and the corresponding seating arrangements. According to sources, the Leader of the Opposition typically receives a seat in the initial rows in accordance with established protocol.
During the tenure of the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi, who served as the Leader of the Opposition at that time, consistently received a seat in the front row.
Since 2014, the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has remained unfilled, as no party has achieved a representation that meets a tenth of the total strength of the Lower House. In the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress has increased its representation to 99 seats, while the NDA has returned to power with a reduced mandate.
In the elections of 2014 and 2019, Congress secured 44 and 52 seats, respectively, in the 543-member House, rendering it ineligible for the Leader of the Opposition position.