Backbencher Rahul: It is back to school

It was for the first time in a decade that a Leader of the Opposition was present at Red Fort for the Independence Day celebrations. But Rahul Gandhi, the designated Leader of Opposition, may not deem it a high spot of his adult life.

For, he found himself sitting like any backbencher in school in the second last row behind the Olympians. No wonder, he was found squirming, quite at odds with his surroundings.

As per protocol, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, whose rank is equivalent to that of a Cabinet Minister, is always assigned a seat in the front row. But the front row was occupied by the 'stars' -- Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Amit Shah and S Jaishankar.