Guwahati (Assam) [India], January 27 : Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday targeted the Centre over the seating of Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge in the third row during the 77th Republic Day celebrations held in the national capital.
Gogoi called it disrespectful to the constitutional position of the LoP.
A day earlier, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi attended the Republic Day parade at Delhi's Kartavya Path. However, their placement in the third row has sparked a political row.
Speaking to ANI, Gogoi said, "The protocol to be followed towards the Leader of Opposition during the Republic Day event could not be seen yesterday. This has happened repeatedly. Only PM Modi can answer - Why he disregards the respectable position of the LoP while he calls Parliament a temple of democracy."
Further, Gogoi criticised the BJP after it accused Rahul Gandhi of "disrespecting the culture and people of the North-East" for not wearing a Patka at the Republic Day Home reception.
"When Congress leaders showed that the things they are raising in Rahul Gandhi's context also apply to Rajnath Singh, the BJP gets upset. I want to say that we should not get involved in politics like this. And even today, in the Northeast, we can clearly see the track records of PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Whenever there is a problem in the Northeast, it is always Rahul Gandhi who is visible, not PM Modi," Gogoi said.
Earlier, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of "disrespecting the culture and people of North-East" by "choosing not to wear Patka," despite President Droupadi Murmu's requests at the Home reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of Republic Day.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma strongly condemned Rahul Gandhi's actions, which he believed "reinforced a perception of disregard towards the North."
As per BJP leaders, the Patka was worn by everyone at the Home reception, including President Murmu, PM Modi and foreign dignitaries.
"Times may change, but the attitude of the de facto supremo of the Congress party, Mr Rahul Gandhi, regrettably appears unchanged. In an act that was deeply insensitive and insulting to the people of the entire North East, Mr. Gandhi chose not to wear the traditional Patka, a symbol of the region's rich cultural heritage, at the reception hosted by the Hon'ble President of India this evening," the Assam CM said in a post on X.
"From the President and the Prime Minister to foreign dignitaries, everyone wore the Patka with respect and pride. Mr. Gandhi alone stood apart, reinforcing a perception of disregard towards the North East. Such conduct explains why his party has lost the trust of the region and much of the country. Yet, this repeated insensitivity continues," he added.
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