New Delhi: A fourth-row seat for

at the Republic Day parade kicked up a controversy with party members protesting against the arrangement, though defence ministry officials clarified that a special dispensation that gave

a front-row seat had not been extended to the new

president.

While there was no official word from Congress over the seating arrangement, Congress members, speaking off the record, slammed the government, accusing it of resorting to “cheap politics”. They said the decision was a breach of protocol and an attempt to “demean” the party, and added that Sonia had been seated in the front row for the last three years.

Defence ministry sources said there was no violation of protocol set out by the warrant of precedence, which was clear that leaders of political parties come down the order. Even the leader of the opposition (LoP) is placed behind several dignitaries and at present there is no LoP in the

due to a lack of numbers.

As suggested by some reports, the presence of 10 heads of

nations as guests had nothing to do with the seating order as they will be on the dais along with President

, said the sources. “A decision had been taken previously to provide a special dispensation for Sonia; this does not apply to Rahul Gandhi,” a source added.

A Congress member said the move was aimed at “humiliating” the party brass at the function but maintained that Rahul would attend the R-Day parade. The party made the point that the Congress president had always been accorded a front-row seat. BJP president Amit Shah has also been assigned a seat in the front row at the parade since the Modi government assumed office in 2014. Congress says the leader of the opposition was always allotted a seat in the front row for the parade. Under UPA, L K Advani was allotted a seat in the front row when he was the leader of the opposition, the party said.

In open letter, Cong chief urges unity

Congress president Rahul Gandhi emphasised the need to defend the Constitution and its commitment to justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, “more than ever before”, in a rare open letter to people by an opposition leader on the eve of Republic Day. “On this Republic day, let us renew our lifelong pledge to protect our Constitution, the keystone of our cherished republic, and to defend it as one people, whenever it is endangered,” he added. He said there should be liberty to express one’s views freely without fear of verbal or physical intimidation and violence. “We are citizens of a democratic republic and our strength is built upon a diversity of religion, cultures, ideas and opinions,” Rahul added. “The Congress chief said, as all celebrate the beloved nation, “let us also remember the Indian constitution and the commitment we made to all our citizens: JUSTICE, LIBERTY, EQUALITY and FRATERNITY”.