File Picture : ANI/X
The Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of insulting the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, by seating them in the third row during the Republic Day parade event at Kartavya Path.
According to media reports, Sharing pictures of their leaders seated in the back rows during the ceremony, several Congress leaders raised questions over the “protocol mess-up” and propriety.
Congress chief Kharge was first seen seated in the third row along with Rahul Gandhi. Later, he was moved to the front row next to former vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Sharing the picture of Rahul Gandhi and Kharge seated in the third row, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said on X, “Does such treatment of the leader of the opposition in the country meet the standards of any decorum, tradition, and protocol?”
“This only reveals the frustration of a government plagued by an inferiority complex.
“In a democracy, differences will persist, but this treatment meted out to Shri Rahul Gandhi is unacceptable,” Surjewala said in his post in Hindi.
Congress leader Vivek Tankha too shared the picture on X, saying, “This is sheer lack of protocol and grace !! May be too much to expect in present times !! #RahulGandhi #Khargeji”.
“The way opposition leaders were treated during the Republic Day celebrations, I don’t expect anything better from the party currently in power in today’s environment. It’s unfortunate that democracy gets hurt over these petty actions of the ruling party,” Tankha said in another post.
