Even though his absence from the flag-raising ceremony at the Red Fort enraged the ruling BJP at the Centre, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge raised the tricolor at the AICC offices in the national capital on Tuesday.

In a statement earlier Kharge heard saying, “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). 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 further added that “Worried that I might not be able to reach here on time, I thought it better not to go there (Red Fort) due to the security arrangements and lack of time.”

Meanwhile, the Congress’ national spokesperson Pawan Khera posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Apparently, the BJP is upset that Kharge ji was not present at the PM’s Red Fort speech.

“Does the PM realise that his route arrangements would have made it impossible for Kharge Sahib to reach the Party HQ for the Flag hoisting function in time? Do we not have the independence of hoisting the Flag at our headquarters on Independence Day?”