Sharad Pawar Slams Centre Over Rahul Gandhi's Seating at Independence Day Event

Sharad Pawar, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), criticized the Centre for not honoring the post of the Leader of Opposition by seating Rahul Gandhi in the last rows during the Independence Day event. Pawar emphasized that the current government's actions reflect a disregard for democratic institutions and parliamentary procedures.

Sharad Pawar, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), on Friday criticized the Centre, alleging disrespect towards the Leader of Opposition by assigning Rahul Gandhi a seat in the rear rows at the Independence Day event.

Addressing members of the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Pawar warned that the threat to the Constitution persists even if the BJP didn't secure a majority in the Lok Sabha polls. He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not respecting Parliament, noting Modi's absence from the House during the Budget session.

Pawar highlighted the importance of maintaining the prestige of both the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition, asserting that current leaders in power are dismissive of democratic institutions and procedures. He cited his own experiences during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's and Manmohan Singh's tenures to illustrate the respect traditionally afforded to the position of LoP.

(With inputs from agencies.)