Rahul Gandhi Watches Republic Day Parade from Sixth Row, Congress Cries Foul

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi watched the Republic Day parade from the sixth row. The party is furious and termed it cheap politics by the Narendra Modi government.

Rahul sat beside senior Congressman and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

There were reports on Thursday that Rahul has been allotted a seat in the fourth row. “Late on Thursday night we were intimated that the Congress president has been allotted a seat in the sixth row,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjweala told News18. He tweeted that this was against all protocol.

The Congress had on Thursday accused the BJP of humiliating their party president by not allotting him a seat in the front row. Party sources said this was an attempt to humiliate Rahul. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi was always seated in the front row in the last three years and also during Vajpayee regime.

Congress says Amit Shah was allowed to sit in the front row at last year's Republic Day parade as party president even though he was just an MLA.

Congress has also accused BJP and government of attempting to thwart a meeting between Rahul and Benjamin Netanyahu when the Israeli Prime Minister was here on a state visit just a week ago.

Rahul, Congress alleged, was not allowed any time to meet him as usually is done as a protocol when foreign leaders visit New Delhi.

Anand Sharma said “govt fixes these meetings. Obviously, BJP didn't want him to meet Rahul.”

The government though has dismissed all talk of witch hunting. BJP's Sudhanshu Mittal told CNN-News18 that “politicians should show grace and not complain".

Sources in the 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.

Congress says the leader of the opposition is always allotted a seat in the front row for the parade. During UPA regime, LK Advani was always allotted a seat in the front row when he was a leader of the opposition, Congress said.