Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Saturday.
Their absence comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which were also evident during the recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament. The session saw repeated disputes over productivity, while the Congress, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party also stayed away from the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day celebrations again
Kharge and Gandhi were not present at the Independence Day programme led by PM Modi at the Red Fort. This is the second consecutive year that the Congress president and the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha have skipped the celebrations.
The absence also comes a year after Gandhi's seating arrangement at the 2024 Independence Day event triggered a controversy. Gandhi, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and enjoys the status of a Cabinet minister, was seated in the second-last row during the programme at the Red Fort, departing from the usual protocol.
The Opposition described the allocation of the seat to the Congress MP as an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the seating arrangement had been changed to accommodate Olympians at the venue.
As per protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.
Parliament session sees government-Opposition clashes
The relationship between the ruling party and the Opposition deteriorated further during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, which ended on Thursday.
The session saw multiple disputes over productivity, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low output. It began on July 20, the first day of the session, with students marching towards Parliament.
Twelve bills were passed during the session, with detailed discussion taking place on only one, the anti-paper leak legislation.
After the House was adjourned sine die, the Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Speaker Om Birla.
What PM Modi spoke about in his Independence Day speech
At the Red Fort, PM Modi's Independence Day address focused on India's vision of becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047, when the country completes 100 years of independence.
Modi also called for 33% representation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies and referred to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
The Prime Minister outlined "Shakti Ki Saptadhara", covering seven areas: manufacturing, agriculture and food production, technology and innovation, Gati Shakti, Raksha Shakti, the green and blue economy, and India's soft power.
He also announced plans to establish a modern Civil Defence network and spoke about the contribution of women to nation-building in areas including fighter jets, civil aviation, sports, STEM education and the armed forces.
Modi also spoke about Maoist ideology and what he referred to as "Dimagi Naxals", while highlighting the contribution of citizens across different sections of society to India's progress.