'I Thought I Will Not Be...': Congress President On Why He Didn't Attend Independence Day Event At Red Fort

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday skipped the 77th Independence Day function at the Red Fort in Delhi from where PM Narendra Modi addressed the nation.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge speaking during celebrations of the 77th Independence Day at the AICC Headquarters in New Delhi, Aug. 15, 2023. (PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday skipped the 77th Independence Day function at the Red Fort in Delhi from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation. A chair reserved for Kharge was seen empty during the Independence Day function at the historic monument. He, however, unfurled the national flag at his residence and later at the Congress headquarters where the Independence Day function was also attended by Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

Speaking about his absence, Kharge told reporters that he had an 'eye-related problem' and that due to the tight security arrangements in and around Red Fort, he wouldn't have made it on time to raise the national flag at the Congress AICC headquarters if he attended the main event.

"Firstly, I have some eye-related problems. Secondly, I had to hoist the tricolour at my residence at 9.20 am, as per protocols. Then I had to come to the Congress office and hoist the tricolour there as well. So, I could not have arrived here on time (if he had attended the main event)," he said.

"Such were the security arrangements around the Red Fort that I wouldn't have been able to leave the main even before PM Modi," he added.

Democracy in 'great' danger today

Earlier in the day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge pledged to uphold democracy and the Constitution which he alleged were in 'great' danger. In a video message on Independence Day, he saluted the sacrifices of innumerable Indians who gave up their lives during the freedom struggle and said they not only made a contribution to the national movement but also laid a strong foundation of India.

He also lauded the contribution of former prime ministers, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee who, he said, always worked for the country and took many steps for progress and development.

"It pains me to say that today, democracy, Constitution, and autonomous institutions - all three are in great danger," Kharge lamented.

Noting that democracy and the Constitution are the souls of the country, the Congress president said, "We take a pledge that we will uphold the freedom of democracy and Constitution for the unity and integrity of the country, for love and brotherhood, for harmony and fraternity".

"With this determination, once again I extend my warmest wishes to all of you on Independence Day. 'Bharat Judega, INDIA Jeetega'," he said, referring to the tagline of the opposition alliance.

"New tactics are being adopted to suppress the voice of the opposition. Raids by CBI, ED, and Income Tax are happening, Election Commission is being weakened. Efforts are being made to suppress the voice of opposition MPs in Parliament by suspending them. Someone's mic is going off or someone's words are getting expunged. Privilege motions are being brought," he added.

In the coming times, people may not believe that there was a time when people from the ruling party used to block proceedings of Parliament, he noted, targeting the current dispensation.

"Great people don't erase old history to write new history. They draw their line big, they don't make the already drawn line smaller by cutting or erasing it," Kharge said.

He alleged that the government is claiming credit for schemes of previous governments just by changing their names.

"Democracy is being torn to shreds by distorting the old constitutional systems that have been running for decades, giving new dimensions to dictatorship. And now, they are trying to create history by renaming old laws, which provided stability and peace to the country," he said.

आप सभी को स्वतंत्रता दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ व बधाई।

लोकतंत्र और संविधान हमारी देश की आत्मा है।

हम यह प्रण लेते हैं कि हम देश की एकता और अखंडता के लिये, प्रेम और भाईचारे के लिए, सौहार्द और सद्भाव के लिए लोकतंत्र और संविधान की स्वतंत्रता क़ायम रखेंगे।

जय हिन्द  pic.twitter.com/d5EurpcRNM

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 15, 2023

Taking a dig at PM Modi, he said, "First, they talked about 'acche din', then, they talked about 'New India', And now they talk about 'Amrit Kaal'. Isn't this a name change to hide his failures?"

Referring to Manipur, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, where there have been incidents of violence in the recent past, he said be it any corner of the country - "wherever there is injustice, the Congress party will establish justice."

For the rights of the youth, for the welfare of the farmers, for the respect of women, for the justice of the underprivileged, for the earnings of small traders, he said, "The Congress is standing. INDIA will rise."