The Congress said that Mallikarjuna in-charge was made to sit at a place “not commensurate with his position”.
New Delhi:
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge was not given a seat matching his position as Leader of the Opposition at the presidential oath ceremony, the party complained in a letter to the Rajya Sabha today.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh tweeted “a letter signed by all opposition parties (including Trinamool)”, in which he described it as “deliberate disrespect” to a senior leader.
Mr Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mr Ramesh said, was sitting in a position “not in line with his position”.
The Congress leader wrote, “We are writing to a very senior leader to express our shock and protest at this deliberate insult shown to violate warrant of precedence and not as per protocol etiquette.”
A letter has just been presented by all the opposition parties (including TMC) to the Hon’ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/tapyVKFS1s
— jairam ramesh (@jairam_ramesh) 25 July 2022
Mr Kharge was seated in the front row, but in the far left corner of the Central Hall of Parliament, where Draupadi Murmu was sworn in as President this morning. BJP chief JP Nadda and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had more prominent seats, the Congress alleged, calling it a “deliberate insult by the home ministry”.
The government has not responded to the allegation, but officials said Mr Kharge was seated in the front row, so there was no breach of protocol.