Rahul Gandhi First Leader Of Opposition In 10 Years To Attend Independence Day At Red Fort

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi joined the Independence Day celebrations at New Delhi’s Red Fort, marking the end of a dry spell of ten years for the Leader of the Opposition to do so. Sporting a white kurta suit, the Wayanad MP was seen sitting with the Indian Olympics contingent, which included medallists Manu Bhaker, Sarabjot Singh, and PR Sreejesh among others.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party swept the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019, the post of the Leader of the Opposition remained vacant as none of the opposition parties could fill up the required number of seats to hold the constitutional post.

However, with an improved performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Rahul Gandhi was appointed as the Leader of the Opposition on June 25 after the party’s seat share in the Lower House of Parliament surged from 52 to 99.

Earlier in the day, the Congress MP took to his X account to extend greetings on the 78th Independence Day.

“Happy Independence Day to all countrymen.”

“For us, freedom is not just a word – it is our biggest protective shield, woven into constitutional and democratic values,” Rahul said in his X post.

“This is the power of expression, the ability to speak the truth and the hope to fulfil dreams,” he added.