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President Droupadi Murmu is said to have asked Rahul Gandhi to wear it twice, but he ignored it, top sources told CNN-News18. The Congress called it “fake drama”
Rahul Gandhi (extreme left) and Mallikarjun Kharge (centre) at the event. (News18)
At the ‘At Home Reception’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Monday, the theme was the North-East.
All guests, from the Prime Minister to the European Union leaders, foreign ambassadors and other guests, everyone was given a North-Eastern Patka. The only person conspicuously not wearing the North-Eastern Patka was Rahul Gandhi, say top sources.
President Droupadi Murmu is said to have asked Rahul Gandhi to wear it twice, but he ignored it, top sources told CNN-News18. The pictures from the reception, as accessed by CNN-News18, are self-explanatory. Rahul Gandhi took the patka but held it in his hand and chose not to wear it, sources say.
The Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge, is, however, seen wearing the patka while standing next to Rahul Gandhi, as seen in pictures.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore termed the entire matter a “fake drama” by the BJP and said that everyone knows how much Rahul Gandhi loves the North-East.
“Rahul Gandhi carried out the Bharat Jodo Yatra in the North-East and wants to shut down the “shop of hatred.” Spreading baseless stories and spreading such childish nonsense from the Rashtrapati Bhavan is wrong. They (BJP) want to turn the Rashtrapati Bhavan into a BJP office. Everyone knows these are false allegations. Doing such politics over the Rashtrapati Bhavan is completely baseless and irresponsible,” Tagore said.
BJP’s Shehzad Poonawalla, in a post on X, wrote: “Rahul Gandhi rejects North East Gamosa despite President of India requesting him to wear it. Rahul Gandhi hates North East and its culture and people. He insulted president from Adivasi Samaj…”
The Congress party had earlier last month objected to Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge not being invited to the ‘At Home Reception’ at Rashtrapati Bhavan for Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Congress had said due political courtesies were not being extended to the Congress chief and the Leader of the Opposition.
RAHUL GANDHI REJECTS NORTH EAST GAMOSA despite President of India requesting him to wear itRahul Gandhi hates NORTH EAST AND ITS CULTURE AND PEOPLE
HE INSULTED PRESIDENT FROM ADIVASI SAMAJ
HIS FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BETRAYED NORTH EAST
THEY BOMBED NORTH EASTKEPT IT AWAY FROM… pic.twitter.com/PVDgfVxMYJ
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) January 26, 2026
The BJP had said Gandhi and Kharge had been skipping even the Republic Day and Independence Day events in recent years.
Gandhi and Kharge were duly invited this time for the ‘At Home Reception’. They were also present at the Republic Day function on Monday, but the Congress made it a point to complain again that Gandhi and Kharge were not given a seat in the front row.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) countered it by saying that senior government ministers were also seated in the rear rows on Independence Day, and that no disrespect was meant for anyone.
January 26, 2026, 19:31 IST
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