The Vacant Chair: Mallikarjun Kharge's absence and emphatic message during PM Modi's Red Fort speech
Red Fort, a vacant chair conveyed a message of its own. Opposition party Congress' President Mallikarjun Kharge didn't turn up at the Red Fort for the Prime Minister's speech, where he slammed dynasty politics and vowed to come back to power as the leader of the largest democracy. Also Read: Narendra Modi vows to return as Prime Minister for next year's Independence Day speech Kharge, meanwhile, conveyed his sentiments through a poignant recorded statement, emphasising the invaluable contributions made by past Prime Ministers.
Congress said Kharge was «not feeling well». Kharge, through his recorded video, paid tribute to the icons of India's freedom struggle, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Maulana Azad, Rajendra Prasad, Sarojini Naidu, and B.R. Ambedkar.
He also shed light on the pivotal roles played by India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and other notable Congress Prime Ministers such as Indira Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh. He also acknowledged the contributions of BJP stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
«Every Prime Minister has contributed to the progress of the nation. Today some people try to say that India has seen progress only in the past few years,» the Congress president said. «Along with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, all PMs thought about the nation and took many steps for development.
It is with pain that I say that today democracy, Constitution and autonomous bodies are under serious threat. New tools are being used to stifle the voice of the opposition. Not only are there CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax raids, the Election Commission is also being weakened.
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