Opposition leaders, including the Congress party, have written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu regarding the sitting position assigned to Mallikarjun Kharge during the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected President Draupadi Murmu.
The letter states that Mallikarjun Kharge was made to sit in a seat “not commensurate with the position he holds”, at the swearing-in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu today.
All Opposition Parties submit a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman stating that the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge was made to sit in a seat “not commensurate with the position he holds”, at the swearing-in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu today. pic.twitter.com/TAEZvB53An
— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2022
The letter signed by many Congress MPs reads, “Today, at the swearing-in ceremony of the Hon’ble President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was made to sit in a seat not commensurate with the position he holds.”
“We are writing to express our shock and protest at this deliberate disrespect shown to a very senior leader violating the warrant of precedence and not in accordance with protocol courtesies due to him,” it further adds. The letter has been signed by several opposition MPs, including Jairam Ramesh, Mukul Wasnik, and Pramod Tiwari.
Notably, Mallikarjun Kharge was made to sit in the first row during the swearing-in ceremony of President Droupadi Murmu at the central hall of Parliament. Also, what is pertinent to note is that Kharge was made to sit at the same seat where former Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley was made to sit during the swearing-in ceremony of Pranab Mukherjee back in.
The seat assigned to LOP Kharge is the seat that has long been assigned to the Leaders of Opposition of the house. The video below that shows the seating position of the Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley on the same occasion back in 2012 substantiates the assertion.
Draupadi Murmu was sworn in today as the 15th President of the Republic of India. Murmu was sworn to the highest constitutional post at the Central Hall of Parliament in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Council of Ministers, governors of individual states, chief ministers, chiefs of diplomatic missions, Members of Parliament, and senior civil and military officials from the government also attended the event.
