There was a dispute over the seat of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in the parade on the occasion of India’s 77th Republic Day. Congress MP Tariq Anwar raised questions on this and said why Rahul Gandhi was not made to sit in the front row. He said, ‘Rahul Gandhi was not made to sit in the front row on the occasion of Republic Day. This is a protocol of the sad leader of the opposition. He is also called Shadow Prime Minister.
‘The entire tradition of the country is being destroyed’
The Congress MP said, ‘Ever since Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, all the traditions of the country are being ended. It would never have happened that the leader of the main opposition party would have been made to sit in the second or third row in such a government function. Since we have adopted the British pattern to a great extent, the Leader of the Opposition is called the Shadow Prime Minister.
#BREAKING | Controversy over Rahul Gandhi’s seat in the Republic Day Parade@journopriti | #RepublicDay2026 #RahulGandhi #Congress pic.twitter.com/116D7ygX8z
— ABP News (@ABPNews) January 26, 2026
‘Leader of opposition should be given due place’
He said, ‘It is the opposite here. Here the leader of the opposition is not allowed to speak in the Parliament. They are not given the proper place they should in government programs. This is not a good tradition for our democracy. The video of the Republic Day parade has surfaced, in which Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is seen sitting in the front row.
Our Constitution is the protective shield of our rights: Rahul Gandhi
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi congratulated the 77th Republic Day on Monday (26) and said that the Indian Constitution is the protective shield of the rights of every citizen and its protection will be a true tribute to the freedom fighters. Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi posted on Instagram, ‘Happy Republic Day to all the countrymen. Our Constitution is the biggest weapon of every Indian – it is our voice, the protective shield of our rights. Our republic stands on its strong foundation which will be strengthened only by equality and harmony.
Rahul Gandhi seen in the third row
Former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi attended the Republic Day parade on the duty path. Dhankhar was sitting in the front row along with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. Earlier, Kharge was seen sitting in the third row in the Lok Sabha with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. Vice President CP Radhakrishnan and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant were also among the guests.
