A fresh political controversy emerged on Republic Day after the BJP accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the North-Eastern culture and President Droupadi Murmu by refusing to wear a traditional North-Eastern patka (also referred to as a gamcha or scarf) at the At Home reception held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The reception, hosted by President Murmu as part of Republic Day celebrations, was themed around the culture, art and cuisine of the North-Eastern states. As part of the event, guests were presented with traditional patkas, a cultural symbol from the region, and were expected to wear them to honour the theme.
According to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, all dignitaries present, including PM Narendra Modi, European Union leaders, foreign envoys and other high-profile attendees, were seen wearing the patka as a mark of respect and inclusion. “Times may change, but the attitude of the de facto supremo of the Congress party, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, regrettably appears unchanged,” Sarma wrote on X, calling the act “deeply insensitive”.
Times may change, but the attitude of the de facto supremo of the Congress party, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, regrettably appears unchanged.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 26, 2026
In an act that was deeply insensitive and insulting to the people of the entire North East, Mr. Gandhi chose not to wear the traditional Patka, a…
‘This is why Congress has lost trust of North East’
Sarma claimed that President Murmu had specifically requested the guests to abide by the dress code. “Such conduct explains why his party has lost the trust of the region and much of the country. Yet, this repeated insensitivity continues. Mr. Rahul Gandhi must issue an unconditional apology to the people of the North East for this affront. The people of the region deserve respect,” Sarma added.
Congress comes to Rahul’s defence
In response, Congress leaders defended Rahul and counterattacked BJP’s narrative. Congress MP Manickam Tagore arguedthat the BJP was creating a “fake drama” for political point-scoring. The party also shared a picture of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh without the patka.
“The 2016 batch of betrayer must stop this nonsense. Why is Rajnath Singh ji not wearing the North east patka then? Stop dragging the Hon’ble President into your cheap politics,” Tagore posted.
He emphasised Gandhi’s respect for the North East, mentioning that Gandhi had begun the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur and deeply respects the region’s people and culture. Tagore also accused the BJP of trying to turn Rashtrapati Bhavan into its own political platform and of disrespecting President Murmu by politicising the matter.
Odisha Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das also came to Gandhi’s defence, saying Gandhi had worn the gamchha on other occasions and questioning why the BJP was making an issue of this, NDTV reported.