The BJP launched a scathing attack on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday for not attending the official Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, accusing the party’s top brass of "boycotting" the nation and disrespecting its institutions.

Calling it a new political low, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleged the Congress was acting more like the “Islamabad National Congress” or “Italian National Congress” than a responsible Indian party. “This wasn’t a birthday or a private party — this was a national event. Rahul Gandhi insulted the country by not showing up,” he said.

The BJP took to social media to amplify the criticism, posting on X: “From opposing a party to insulting the nation -- every time you think Congress can't fall further, they dig a new low.” The post included media coverage noting the empty chairs at the iconic Red Fort ceremony and highlighting the absence of the two senior Congress leaders.

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BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also took a swipe at Gandhi, questioning his fitness and priorities. Sharing a video of Gandhi attending a Congress party event the same day, Malviya said, “At the Congress HQ event, he appeared visibly disoriented. The nation deserves to know — is he well? And why skip the official ceremony?”

Another BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Bhandari, accused the Congress of choosing “politics over patriotism,” and said Gandhi’s absence from the historic venue sends a poor message. “As Leader of Opposition, was it not his constitutional duty to attend?” he asked.

With the 79th Independence Day serving as a key moment of national unity, the absence of the opposition’s top leaders has sparked a heated political exchange, raising questions about propriety, symbolism, and the deepening rift between India’s ruling party and its main opposition.

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