A fresh political storm erupted on Monday after the BJP and Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of insulting the Northeast and showing disrespect to President Droupadi Murmu by allegedly not wearing the traditional Assamese Gamosa (Patka) during the Republic Day ‘At-Home’ reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The controversy began after reports claimed that all guests at the reception wore the ceremonial scarf except Rahul Gandhi, triggering strong reactions from the ruling party and leaders from the Northeast.

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla called the incident “shameful” and said it reflected a lack of respect towards both the Northeast and the President.

“Rahul Gandhi has insulted the Northeast and disrespected our honourable President,” Poonawalla said in a post on X, citing reports from the event.

The Gamosa, an important cultural symbol in Assam and across the Northeast, represents honour, pride and hospitality and is commonly worn during official and ceremonial occasions.

Assam Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarma also issued a sharp statement, saying Rahul Gandhi’s actions reflected a long-standing pattern of insensitivity towards the region.

“Times may change, but the attitude of the de facto supremo of the Congress party, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, regrettably appears unchanged,” Sarma said. He noted that the President, Prime Minister and foreign dignitaries wore the Patka with respect, while Gandhi alone did not.

Calling the act “deeply insensitive and insulting,” Sarma demanded that Rahul Gandhi issue an unconditional apology to the people of the Northeast.

“The people of the region deserve respect,” the Assam CM added, stating that such conduct explains why the Congress has lost the trust of the region.

BJP hits back at Congress over Republic Day seating allegations

The BJP’s remarks came on the same day the Congress accused the NDA government of insulting Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge by seating them in the third row during the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path.

Responding to this, Poonawalla said, “They think the country is their personal property. They think their VVIP treatment is more important than the country. The seating arrangement at the Republic Day ceremony is decided by the President's Secretariat... In that picture, you can see that our senior Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is also sitting behind Rahul Gandhi, but he didn't complain because, for him, his VVIP treatment is not more important than the country."

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also accused the Congress of politicising national events, calling Rahul Gandhi an “insincere politician who chooses politics over national interest.”