At I-Day event in 2024, Rahul Gandhi sat in 5th row. Here's where he'll be this year
The government has said Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will be seated immediately after Union Cabinet ministers at this year's
The government has said Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, will be seated immediately after Union Cabinet ministers at this year's Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The clarification on the seating arrangement follows as the Congress had raised objection to Gandhi's seat in fifth row during the 2024 programme. Defence Secretary RK Singh said on Monday that Rahul Gandhi has been invited to the August 15 celebrations and his seating will be determined according to the official Table of Precedence. "Leader of opposition has been invited, and his seating would be as per the Table of Precedence, which is exactly after Cabinet ministers," Singh told mediapersons.
Read Full Story The Congress had sharply criticised Gandhi's seating arrangement at Independence Day celebrations in 2024, alleging that he was placed in the fifth row and accusing the government of displaying "pettiness" and disregarding democratic norms. The Congress had also accused the Centre of insulting the office of the Leader of the Opposition after Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge were seated in the third row during the Republic Day celebrations this year. Rahul Gandhi had skipped the Independence Day event at Red Fort in 2025. Under the Warrant of Precedence issued by the President's Secretariat, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha has a rank equivalent to that of a Union Cabinet minister.
The Table of Precedence governs seating at state and ceremonial occasions and is based on constitutional rank and office, rather than political affiliation. YOUTH POWER TO BE FOCUS The Defence Ministry said this year's Independence Day celebrations will focus on "Yuva Shakti" and the contribution of young Indians to national development, alongside the commemoration of 150 years of "Vande Mataram". Singh said the decision to highlight youth power was taken well before the recent students' protest at Jantar Mantar. "The plan to celebrate the success and contribution of youth at the Independence Day celebrations predates any other event," he said. The celebrations will acknowledge the role of young Indians in building a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047, Singh said, adding that youth would both contribute to and benefit from the country's development.
He also said that as 2026 marks 150 years of "Vande Mataram", the national song will be sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the first time as a tribute to its legacy. The song will be performed at the beginning of the celebrations, followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurling the national flag and the national anthem. Ends
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