Rahul Gandhi, Kharge Skip I-Day Event Again: Why?

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders has attracted attention because this is the second consecutive year that Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have skipped the event.

Their absence has also brought back memories of the 2024 Independence Day seating controversy, when Rahul Gandhi was seated in the fifth row at the Red Fort despite being the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Why did Rahul Gandhi skip the Red Fort event?

No Congress leader has officially given a clear reason for Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge missing this year's Independence Day celebrations.But India Today reported that protocol and seating arrangements could have influenced their decision to stay away from the event.

The problem is not new. In the past, the seating arrangements of government functions have created political friction between the governing BJP and opposition parties.

In 2024, Rahul Gandhi's seating arrangement at the Red Fort caused a lot of political controversy. He was to sit in the fifth row instead of the front row where senior constitutional and government officials were seated.

What happened in 2024 Seating Row?

The 2024 controversy started after Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting in the fifth row during the Independence Day celebrations.Since Gandhi is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi's position is a high rank under the government's official protocol.

According to officials, the seating arrangement was made to accommodate India’s Olympic medal winners in the front rows. But the decision got under fire and there were political debates as to whether the Leader of Opposition was placed in the right place.

The government's Table of Precedence places the leaders of the opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha at seventh place, next to Union Cabinet ministers, Chief Ministers, and some other senior dignitaries. The 2024 episode thus became a point of friction between the BJP-led government and the Congress.

BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi and Kharge

The absence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from this year's celebrations quickly became part of the political debate.BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari criticised the Congress leaders and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks about “dimaagi naxals” during his Independence Day speech.

Modi said armed Naxalism had been dealt with in the country's forests, but a new type of ideological extremism was trying to create unrest and violence in society.The Prime Minister called for such elements to be identified and isolated.The BJP used the remarks to target the opposition and question its decision to stay away from the national celebration.

Giriraj Singh Calls Absence ‘Childish’

Union Minister Giriraj Singh also criticised Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for missing the Independence Day event.Citing their decision as childish, Singh said skipping an important national event did not suit leaders in such senior positions of a very high level.

He also referred to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, saying that Vajpayee attended Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort even when he was in the Opposition. His comments added another layer to the growing BJP-Congress confrontation over the absence of the Congress leaders.

Congress Hits Back at PM Modi

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh strongly reacted to PM Modi’s comments.Ramesh criticised the prime minister for repeatedly using terms such as “urban naxals” and now “dimaagi naxals” to describe his political opponents.

He claimed that the language reflected the Prime Minister’s frustration and accused him of targeting critics through such labels.The Congress leader also took a swipe at Modi's political style, keeping the BJP-Congress war of words alive on Independence Day.

2024 Controversy returns in 2026

Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge’s absence from the 2026 Independence Day celebrations has once again put the long-running dispute over protocol and seating at official events in the spotlight.

While there has been no official confirmation by Congress that this year’s absence is directly related to the seating debate, the timing of the issue has made us recall the 2024 controversy.

The episode also highlights the far-reaching political tension between the BJP and Congress, who have had sharp exchanges on Independence Day.For now, the absence of two of Congress' most senior leaders from the Red Fort celebrations has become one of the talking points surrounding the 80th Independence Day celebrations.