Rahul Gandhi, Kharge skip Red Fort I-Day event again; BJP questions Congress leaders’ absence

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug. 15, 2026: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday skipped the nation’s 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for the second consecutive year.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders has sparked a political debate, with the BJP criticising the party’s decision to stay away from the national event.

Kharge, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and holds a status equivalent to that of a Cabinet minister, was reportedly allotted a seat in the second or third row. According to Congress sources, attending the event would have been inconvenient for him due to logistical reasons. He is instead expected to hoist the national flag at the Congress headquarters.

The BJP questioned the reasons cited for Kharge’s absence and accused the Congress of avoiding the Independence Day celebrations.

The Congress leadership had also skipped the Independence Day function in 2025.

A similar controversy had arisen during the 2024 Independence Day celebrations when the Congress objected to Rahul Gandhi’s seating arrangement at the Red Fort. Gandhi, who as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha enjoys Cabinet minister status, was seated in the second-last row, prompting criticism from the party.

At the time, the Defence Ministry clarified that the seating arrangement was not aimed at Gandhi and explained that the front rows had been reserved for Olympians being honoured during the event.

The Congress has stayed away from several major government events in recent years, including the foundation-laying ceremony and inauguration of the new Parliament building. The party had also declined to attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, stating that it viewed the event as politically driven.