Government rejects Oppn’s claim of Kharge’s disrespect at President swearing-in function

NEW DELHI: The swearing-in ceremony of President of Droupadi Murmu turned out to be a tug of war between Opposition and ruling party over the issue of disrespect of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge as all Opposition parties have written to Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu over improper seat offered to Kharge at the swearing-in ceremony of the President on Monday.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted a letter written to Rajya Sabha Chairman saying that Kharge was made to sit in a seat not commensurate with the position he holds. The letter further says that it was “disrespect” to a very senior leader and was not in accordance with the protocol courtesy due to him.

However, the government has rejected the Opposition’s allegations by saying that the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha was given a seat in the front row at par with Cabinet ministers.

Rejecting the allegations,

Union Minister Prahlad Joshi said that there was no violation of protocol in the oath-taking ceremony of the President.

“In the order of precedence, the leader of the opposition is after all Cabinet ministers. Strictly going by that his seat comes in the third row. But to respect the seniority of Kharge ji, he was provided a seat in the first row itself,” Joshi said, adding, “When he objected to his seat as it was in the corner, staff present there requested him to come to the centre, but he refused.”

Joshi further said that in outgoing President Ram Nath Kovind’s farewell programme on Saturday, Kharge was given the seat next to the prime minister, but he didn’t come.

“It was an insult to the President also. Today they are making an issue of a non-issue. In spite of the order of precedence, we tried to accommodate them in the first row. Majority of Cabinet ministers sat in the second row,” Joshi said.