’You have not learned...’: Upset Congress slams PM Modi as Rahul Gandhi seated in back row at during I-Day event

The Congress party on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government for its disregard for democratic traditions for making Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, sit on the fifth row at the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting behind a few rows of seats, which were occupied by members of the Indian contingent, which took part in the recently-held Olympic Games in Paris, at the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.

The opposition party's criticism followed statements from event organizers, who explained that the seating arrangements adhered to the established "table of precedence." They added that this year, it was decided to honor "Paris Olympics medal winners" as special guests during the Independence Day celebrations.

Slamming the Centre, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal said, "Modi ji, it's about time you wake up to the new reality post-June 4th. The arrogance with which you relegated Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi ji to the last rows during the Independence Day ceremony shows that you have not learned your lesson."

"The defence ministry's feeble explanation that it was out of 'respect for Olympians' doesn't cut much ice. While Olympians deserve every bit of respect, I wonder how Cabinet ministers like Amit Shah or Nirmala Sitharaman ji get front row seats ahead of them," he said.

According to protocol, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) of both Houses must also be seated in the front row but the seats for Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge were in the fifth row, he said.

"This was not only an insult to the post of LoP or Rahul ji; it was an insult to the people of India, whose voice Rahul ji represents in Parliament. It's amazing how uncomfortable the truth can make some people -- so much so that they'd rather rearrange the seating than face it," Venugopal said in a post on X.

The vision of 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047 was the running theme at the 78th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort here where members of the Indian contingent that took part in the Paris Olympics were among the special guests.

In the 98-minute speech, his longest Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that it is India's golden era and a developed India by 2047 awaits the nation.

The dignitaries, who were seated near the podium on the ramparts of the 17th century fort, included Union ministers Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Mansukh Mandaviya, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiren Rijiju, G Kishan Reddy, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Shivraj Chouhan, Chirag Paswan, J P Nadda, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Giriraj Singh.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena were also among those present.