NDA slams Rahul Gandhi, Kharge for skipping Red Fort I-Day for 2nd year
Synopsis
For the second year running, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi were absent from the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort — and NDA leaders are not letting it pass quietly. With ministers from Ramdas Athawale to Giriraj Singh calling it everything from 'resentment' to a 'childish act', the no-show is fast becoming a political flashpoint.
Key Takeaways
Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge skipped the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year .
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale attributed their absence to 'resentment' towards PM Narendra Modi .
Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde called the occasion one of 'patriotism', saying politics should not enter it.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh termed the decision a 'childish act' unbecoming of their positions.
During the 2024 Independence Day , Rahul Gandhi was reportedly seated in the second-last row despite his Cabinet Ministerial status as Leader of Opposition.
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders on Saturday, 15 August sharply criticised Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for skipping the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year, with several NDA leaders attributing the absence to what they called 'resentment' towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
NDA Leaders React
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, chief of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), said that both the Leader of Opposition and the Congress president are routinely invited to the Red Fort ceremony alongside ministers and other leaders. 'Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge perhaps have a lot of resentment towards Prime Minister Modi in their hearts,' he said. Athawale also suggested the reason may be that PM Modi has surpassed the record of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as the longest continuously serving Prime Minister.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde struck a different note, emphasising that the Independence Day programme transcends party lines. 'Many patriots sacrificed their lives for the country. On August 15, the Prime Minister delivered a speech on patriotism, but unfortunately, the opposition leaders were not present. This is very unfortunate. This is a programme of patriotism, and politics should not be brought into it,' he told reporters.
BJP and JD-U Add to the Criticism
BJP National Spokesperson R.P. Singh accused the Congress leadership of habitual absenteeism at national events. 'Whether it is the August 15 or January 26 programme, they make one excuse or another... They want to politicise every issue, which is why they remain absent from such programmes,' he said.
JD-U National General Secretary Shyam Rajak called on all leaders to set aside differences on 15 August. 'Those who did not attend, their attitude towards the nation does not seem appropriate in some way,' he remarked.
Giriraj Singh Calls It a 'Childish Act'
Earlier on Saturday, Union Minister Giriraj Singh had also targeted Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, calling their decision a 'childish act' and stating it did not befit the positions they hold.
Background: The 2024 Seating Row
This is not the first time the issue has generated political heat. During the 2024 Independence Day celebrations, Rahul Gandhi's seating arrangement sparked controversy — despite holding the status of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, which carries Cabinet Ministerial rank, he was reportedly seated in the second-last row, contrary to established protocol. That episode had already strained the Congress's relationship with the Red Fort ceremony. Whether the Congress will clarify the reasons for the back-to-back absences is likely to shape the next round of political exchanges.
Point of View
Which makes the optics of a back-to-back absence by the Leader of Opposition and the Congress president unusually damaging — regardless of the underlying reasons. NDA's coordinated response, spanning five senior leaders in a single day, suggests this is a deliberate political offensive rather than spontaneous outrage. What mainstream coverage underplays is the 2024 seating controversy: if the government's own protocol machinery placed the LoP in the second-last row last year, Congress's reluctance to return is not without context. The accountability question cuts both ways.
NationPress
15 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge skip Independence Day 2025 at the Red Fort?
Neither Rahul Gandhi nor Mallikarjun Kharge has publicly stated a reason for their absence from the Red Fort Independence Day ceremony on 15 August 2025. NDA leaders have attributed it to 'resentment' towards PM Modi, though Congress has not confirmed or denied this characterisation.
Is this the first time Congress leaders have missed the Red Fort I-Day event?
No. This is the second consecutive year that both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have been absent from the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, making the pattern a subject of renewed political debate.
What happened during Rahul Gandhi's seating at the 2024 Independence Day?
During the 2024 Independence Day celebrations, Rahul Gandhi was reportedly seated in the second-last row despite being the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha — a position that carries Cabinet Ministerial status — in what critics said was a breach of established protocol.
Which NDA leaders criticised the Congress over the absence?
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh, JD-U's Shyam Rajak, and Union Minister Giriraj Singh all publicly criticised the Congress leadership for skipping the Red Fort ceremony.
What did Giriraj Singh say about the Congress leaders' absence?
Union Minister Giriraj Singh called the decision by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to skip the Independence Day event a 'childish act', saying it did not befit the positions they hold.
