Rahul Gandhi’s Independence Day seat sparks social media debate; Here's why

New Delhi: During India’s 78th Independence Day celebrations, visuals of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi seated in the second-last row at the Red Fort sparked significant buzz on social media. Marking a rare appearance after nearly a decade, Gandhi’s placement among Olympic medallists drew attention.

Dressed in a white kurta-pajama, Gandhi was seated beside Indian hockey forward Gurjant Singh. The front rows were occupied by Olympic stars like Manu Bhaker and Sarabjot Singh, alongside members of the Olympic bronze-winning hockey team, including captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh. Traditionally, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), a rank equivalent to a Cabinet Minister, is given a front-row seat. However, this year, those seats were reserved for distinguished athletes, pushing Gandhi to a different spot.

If Rahul Gandhi sits in the front row, he is discussed the most.

Even if Rahul Gandhi sits in the fifth row, he is discussed the most.

This is the value of Rahul Gandhi 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LiBaSZ6Loh

— Harsh Tiwari (@harsht2024) August 15, 2024

RaGa's seating raises questions

Sources indicate that Gandhi, assigned a fifth-row seat, made no special requests regarding his placement. In contrast, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, also allocated a fifth-row seat, did not attend the event. Government sources addressed the chatter by clarifying that the Ministry of Defence, responsible for seating arrangements, prioritized Olympic medal winners this year. “The LoP is typically given a front-row seat as per protocol, but exceptions were made,” a source noted.

Historically, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s BJP tenure, then LoP Sonia Gandhi was consistently seated in the front row. The post of LoP in the Lok Sabha remained vacant since 2014 until the Congress secured 99 seats in 2024, giving them enough strength to reclaim the position. The 2014 and 2019 elections saw Congress fall short of the required numbers, winning 44 and 52 seats respectively, leaving the LoP post unclaimed.