Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president T. Jagga Reddy on Tuesday pulled out of the NDA-led Union government over the seating arrangement of Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during the 77th Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on Monday.
Addressing the media at Gandhi Bhavan, Mr. Jagga Reddy alleged that the Center had deliberately seated Mr. Rahul Gandhi in the third row as an act of political humiliation. “The BJP government made the opposition leader sit in the third row just to insult him. This is a conspiracy-driven insult,” he said.
Mr. Jagga Reddy further described Mr. Rahul Gandhi as a lion-like man and praised Priyanka Gandhi as a leopard-like leader. “The Congress leadership would not be intimidated by such actions. People have given BJP a mandate to run a people’s government, not to politically target the Gandhi family,” he said.
Recalling past traditions, Mr. Jagga Reddy said, Indira Gandhi respected leaders like LK Advani when they were in opposition. “But Modi has made it his business to insult the Leader of the Opposition,” he said, demanding that the Center uphold democratic dignity and maintain respect for constitutional positions irrespective of political differences.
Published – 27 Jan 2026 20:59 IST
