Rahul ‘insulted’ northeast by not wearing Gamosa at reception hosted by President: BJP

A political controversy broke out on Monday, January 26, 2026, over Rahul Gandhi’s alleged refusal to wear Assam. gamoza This award was given to all the guests at the reception hosted by President Droupadi Murmu, after the BJP claimed that the Congress leader had insulted the north-east of the country.

The BJP also accused the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha of ignoring Ms. Murmu. Gamosa, Congress also said Defense Minister Rajnath Singh:pochard [scarf]”.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma demanded an “unconditional apology” from Mr Gandhi, claiming that the Congress leader’s choice not to wear traditional dress was highly insensitive and insulted to people of the entire northeast. pochardIt is a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of the region.

The development comes after a section of the media claimed that all the guests except Mr Gandhi were wearing the outfit. gamoza was presented to them at the event.

Referring to some media reports, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla in a post on X said: “Shameful! Rahul Gandhi insulted the northeast and also disrespected our very respected President.”

Hitting out at Mr Gandhi, Mr Sarma said times may change but the attitude of the Congress’s “de facto superiority” has “unfortunately” not changed.

“From the President to the Prime Minister to foreign dignitaries, everyone wore this jersey. pochard with respect and pride. “Mr Gandhi has single-handedly stood apart and reinforced the perception of indifference towards the northeast,” Assam Chief Minister wrote to X.

Such behavior explained why his party had “lost the trust of much of the region and the country. But this repeated insensitivity continues,” he charged.

“Mr Gandhi should issue an unconditional apology to the people of the north-east for this insult. The people of the region deserve respect,” he added.

The Congress hit back at the BJP when party media and publicity department head Pawan Khera posted a picture of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on X and asked the Assam Chief Minister if he would also seek an apology from Mr Singh for not wearing the outfit. pochard.

“Hey @himantabiswa, are you going to expect an apology from @rajnathsingh ji too? Or is your whole strategy to combat anti-incumbency to address such non-issues?” Mr Khera asked, tagging both Mr Singh and Mr Sarma in his post on the micro-blogging platform.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore also criticized the BJP on the issue and asked the Assam Chief Minister why Mr. Singh was not wearing the northeast. pochard.

“The group of traitors of 2016 must stop this nonsense. So why isn’t @rajnathsingh ji wearing the North East patka? Stop dragging Mr. President @rashtrapatibhvn into your cheap politics,” Mr. Tagore said in a post on X.

This comes on a day when the Congress accused the NDA Government of insulting the Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Mr Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, by making them sit in the third row respectively during the Republic Day parade on Kartavya Road.

Many Congress leaders, who shared photos of their leaders sitting in the back rows during the ceremony, raised questions about “protocol confusion” and compliance.

Mr. Poonawalla also hit back, accusing the Congress of promoting “entitlement and ego” as well as “entitlement and ego”.parivar The position of the Gandhi family over the people.

“They feel”parivar tantra (family system) ‘up there’sanvidhan tantra (constitutional system)’. Residence permit is determined according to a specific format: Order or Table of Priority. We can see that even senior Cabinet Ministers are around and even behind Rahul Gandhi but none of them have made it an issue,” the BJP spokesperson said in a post on X.

Does Rahul think he owns India? By the way, why is he shelving important programs? Where was he during the Vice Presidential Inauguration? CJI Oath? I-Day programme?” Mr Poonawalla asked.

Reacting strongly, Pradeep Bhandari, another BJP national spokesperson, accused the Congress of politicizing the seating arrangements on Republic Day and called Mr Gandhi a “disingenuous politician”.

Mr Bhandari said: ‘It is shameful that the Congress has even politicized the seating arrangements on Republic Day.’ “Rahul Gandhi is an insincere politician who chooses politics over national interest,” he accused.

It was published – 27 January 2026 12:50 IST