Rahul Gandhi given seat in 4th row for Republic Day parade, Congress fumes

Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of humiliating party president Rahul Gandhi by allotting a seat in the fourth row at tomorrow's Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath in the heart of New Delhi. His predecessor and mother Sonia Gandhi was always seated in the front row.

"We have come to know that the Congress president has been assigned a seat in the fourth row, unlike in past when they used to occupy a seat in the front row during the Republic Day parade," a senior Congress leader told PTI, on condition of anonymity.

The Congress leader alleged that by doing so the Modi government was resorting to "cheap politics".

The leader, however, maintained that Rahul Gandhi will be attending the function irrespective of the seating arrangements.

Congress sources said the party president has always been seated in the front row since independence, including Sonia Gandhi, who as the party chief has always been given a seat in the front row.

However,according to the table of precedence, Sonia Gandhi was seated in front row as the spouse of a former prime minister. Accordingly, Rahul Gandhi will have to sit in the fourth row as an MP.

BJP president Amit Shah has also been always assigned a seat in the front row at the Republic Day parade ever since this government came to power in 2014.

However, sources in government say the sitting arrangement may have been altered as with 10 ASEAN heads of leaders in attendance are to be accorded priority and there is no attempt to belittle Rahul Gandhi.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)