For the first time in a decade, a Leader of the Opposition was present at Red Fort for the Independence Day celebrations as Congress MP Rahul Gandhi attended the event on Thursday. Wearing a white kurta-pyjama, Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting in the second last row with Olympic medallists such as Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh. Members of the Olympic-bronze-winning hockey team, including its captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh, were also snapped sitting with the former Congress chief.
While the front row was occupied by Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah and S Jaishankar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, whose rank is equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister, was allocated a seat in the second last row.
Interestingly, during the BJP regime under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, then LoP Sonia Gandhi, was always allocated a seat in the first row.
With Rahul Gandhi's seating arrangement garnering attention on social media, the Ministry of Defence said Rahul Gandhi had to be shifted back as the front rows were allocated to the Olympic medal winners. The Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for making the seating plans, however, said the LoP is normally given a seat in the first few rows as per protocol.
The post of the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha was vacant for 10 years because no party had numbers equalling a tenth of the strength of the House. However, the NDA's numbers were diminished in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as a resurgent Congress won 99 seats, up from the 52 it won in 2019.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi took to X to wish fellow Indians Independence Day.
"Happy Independence Day to all countrymen. For us, freedom is not just a word – it is our biggest protective shield, woven into constitutional and democratic values. This is the power of expression, the ability to speak the truth and the hope to fulfil dreams," he tweeted along with a video.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. He wore a Rajasthani turban and spoke about several key issues, including crimes against women, Bangladesh unrest and attacks on Hindus, uniform civil code and India's aim to host the Olympics in 2036.
This was PM Modi's 11th consecutive Independence Day address and the first speech of his third term.
The Prime Minister's speech was also focused on the ideas and aspirations for a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047, as he announced that the government was committed to big reforms.
