Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 27: A political controversy erupted after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was seen not wearing a North-Eastern patka at the ‘At Home Reception’ hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, where the theme focused on the North-East.

As per top sources, all guests, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Union leaders, foreign ambassadors and other dignitaries, were given North-Eastern patkas. Rahul Gandhi was the only prominent attendee who did not wear it, sources claimed. President Droupadi Murmu is said to have requested him twice to wear the patka, but he chose to hold it in his hand instead, sources told CNN-News18. Photographs from the event reportedly support this claim.

In contrast, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was seen wearing the patka while standing beside Rahul Gandhi.

Reacting sharply, Congress MP Manickam Tagore dismissed the issue as a “fake drama” by the BJP, asserting that Rahul Gandhi has deep affection for the North-East. He cited the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the region and accused the BJP of spreading baseless allegations and politicising Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The BJP, however, intensified its attack, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla alleging on social media platform X that Rahul Gandhi had insulted the President and disrespected the culture of the North-East.

The incident comes amid ongoing friction between the BJP and Congress over protocol and invitations to official events. Last month, the Congress had objected to Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to a similar ‘At Home Reception’ during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin, an allegation the BJP had dismissed, saying the leaders often skipped national events.