Rahul Gandhi, Kharge Skip PM Modi’s Red Fort Speech, BJP Slams ‘Operation Sindoor’ Disrespect

Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge Skip PM Modi's Independence Day Address; BJP Alleges 'Disrespect to Operation Sindoor'

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and his Rajya Sabha counterpart Mallikarjun Kharge were notably absent from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address at the Red Fort on Friday, August 15, drawing sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The BJP termed their absence a "disrespect" to the Prime Minister's office, the national flag, and this year's celebration theme - Operation Sindoor. Party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, in a post on X, accused Rahul Gandhi of boycotting a "national celebration" purely out of political hostility toward the Prime Minister, calling it an act of "Desh & Sena Virodh." He also linked the move to the Congress leadership's past criticism of Operation Sindoor, including Gandhi's earlier remarks questioning the number of Indian aircraft lost and the role of foreign mediation in securing the operation's ceasefire.

This year's official Independence Day invitations prominently featured Operation Sindoor as the central theme. According to the BJP, the Congress leaders' absence sent a signal of undermining the armed forces and emboldening Pakistan.

In response, the Congress released photographs of Gandhi and Kharge unfurling the national flag at the party headquarters in Indira Bhavan, New Delhi, with the event streamed live on Rahul Gandhi's official X account. Party sources cited long-standing disagreements over seating arrangements at the Red Fort as one of the reasons for skipping the ceremony. In 2024, Gandhi attended the event but was seated behind other dignitaries, which triggered internal objections. The Defence Ministry later clarified that front-row seats were reserved for Olympians being honoured that year.

Congress leaders also reiterated their stance against what they describe as the politicisation of national events. They pointed to their earlier decision to skip the groundbreaking and inauguration of the new Parliament building and the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, saying such occasions had been turned into BJP-led political spectacles rather than inclusive national functions.

The party further objected to parts of PM Modi's Independence Day speech that referred to the Emergency and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, arguing these were political references that detracted from the non-partisan spirit of the occasion.