Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on August 15, 2026.
This marks the second consecutive year that both Congress leaders have boycotted the national ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The ongoing boycott stems from a protocol dispute after Rahul Gandhi was seated in the fifth row during the 2024 Independence Day event.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul bypassed the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort on Saturday, August 15, 2026. This marks the second consecutive year that both leaders have stayed away from the national ceremony led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following a similar boycott in 2025. Rahul received an official invitation to the 2026 event. The Defence Ministry stated that his seating would follow the official Table of Precedence. The decision to skip the event highlights the ongoing friction between the opposition and the government over state protocol.
The Protocol Dispute
Under the Warrant of Precedence issued by the President’s Secretariat, the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition holds a rank equivalent to a Union Cabinet Minister. The ongoing boycott stems from the 2024 national ceremony, where officials seated the newly appointed LoP, Rahul, in the fifth row at the Red Fort. The Congress heavily criticised the arrangement, accusing the government of insulting the office of the LoP and displaying "pettiness". The Defence Ministry defended the 2024 seating plan, stating that officials made the arrangement to accommodate Olympic athletes attending the ceremony.
Pattern Of Seating Row
The Congress has repeatedly raised concerns over the treatment of its leaders at national ceremonial events. The party previously criticised the seating arrangements at the Republic Day celebrations, alleging that officials placed Rahul and Kharge in the third row. The Defence Ministry maintained that the seating arrangements at the Republic Day celebrations in 2025 and 2026 strictly followed the Table of Precedence. The Table of Precedence governs seating and protocol at state and ceremonial occasions, relying entirely on constitutional rank and office rather than political affiliation.
