“Shows frustration by making LoP Rahul Gandhi sit in fifth row during the I-Day celebrations”: Congress

New Delhi [India], August 15 (ANI): Congress on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for making the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi “sit in the fifth row” at the Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort in the national capital.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate claimed that Prime Minister Modi is a person with a “petty mindset” and he keeps on giving proof.

“It is futile to expect big things from small-minded people. Narendra Modi certainly showed his frustration by making Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi sit in the fifth row during the Independence Day celebrations, but this did not make any difference to Rahul Gandhi and he will keep raising issues of the people as he has been doing,” Supriya Shrinate said in a video statement on X.

“However, it shows that you and your government do not have any respect for democracy, democratic traditions and the Leader of Opposition,” she added.

Shrinate said the rank of the Leader of the Opposition is that of a cabinet minister and the ministers of the government were sitting in the first row.

“Not only Rahul Gandhi was made to sit in the fifth row but Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s designated place was also in the fifth row,” she said.

“A foolish statement has come from the defence ministry that ‘this was done as we wanted to honour Olympians’. They should be honoured and so should Vinesh Phogat, but did Amit Shah, J P Nadda, S Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman, not want to honour them?” Shrinate added.

Shrinate further said that the Leader of the Opposition is important because he makes the government accountable and raises people’s issues.

“Whether Rahul Gandhi sits in the fifth row or the fiftieth, he will remain a people’s leader” she added.

According to the top sources of the Congress Party Rahul Gandhi was allotted 5th seat in the Fifth row and he has not broken any protocol and did not desire to shift the seat allotted to him, he sat on the seat designated for him, Congress President and LoP Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge was also allotted the seat next to him but Kharge didn’t attend the function.

Meanwhile, “the Defence Ministry followed the protocol table of precedence. This year, it was decided to honour the Olympic winners,” Defence Ministry Sources when asked to comment on the alleged controversy over seating arrangement for the leader of the opposition during Independence Day celebrations.

LoP and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen sitting behind a few rows of seats, which were occupied by members of the Indian contingent that took part in the recently-held Paris Olympics Games.

Rahul Gandhi became the first LoP in a decade to attend Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort.