New Delhi [India], August 15 (ANI): Congress’s KC Venugopal said on Thursday that the arrogance with which PM Narendra Modi relegated Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi to the last rows during the Independence Day ceremony shows that he has not learnt his lesson from June 4.
“Modi ji, it’s about time you wake up to the new reality post-June 4th. The arrogance with which you relegated Lok Sabha LoP Shri @RahulGandhiji to the last rows during the Independence Day ceremony shows that you have not learnt your lesson,” KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary (organization) said in a post on X.
He said that while seating Rahul and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in the 5th row, the NDA government at the Centre insulted the people of India.
“The Defence Ministry’s feeble explanation that it was out of “respect for Olympians” doesn’t cut much ice. While Olympians deserve every bit of respect, I wonder how Cabinet Ministers like Amit Shah or Nirmala Sitharaman ji get front row seats ahead of them. As per protocol, the LoPs of both Houses must also be seated in the front row, but the seats for Rahul ji and INC President Shri Mallikarjun @kharge ji were in the 5th row.
“This was not only an insult to the post of LoP or Rahul ji; it was an insult to the people of India, whose voice Rahul ji represents in Parliament. It’s amazing how uncomfortable the truth can make some people–so much so that they’d rather rearrange the seating than face it,” he said.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate slammed PM Modi, saying that he “showed his frustration” by making Rahul sit in the fifth row.
“It is futile to expect big things from small minded people. Narendra Modi certainly showed his frustration by making the Leader of the Opposition @RahulGandhi sit in the fifth row during the Independence Day celebrations, but this does not make any difference to Rahul Gandhi.
“So these people with a petty mindset do not care about democracy and democratic traditions. The statement of the Defense Ministry is further exposing the government. The truth is that Modi and his ministers avoid eye contact with Rahul Gandhi and feel uncomfortable. Whether Rahul Gandhi sits in the fifth row or the fiftieth, he will remain a people’s leader,” Shrinate posted on X.
During the ceremony the front rows were occupied by Olympic medallists. Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh, members of the Olympic-bronze-winning hockey team, including its captain Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh were seated ahead of Rahul Gandhi.
The front row was occupied by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah and S Jaishankar.
As per protocol, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha has the same position as that of a Cabinet Minister. (ANI)
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