PM Modi Hoists Tiranga at Red Fort, Celebrates 78th Independence Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort in New Delhi for the 11th consecutive time, marking the 78th Independence Day. The morning saw an overcast sky with a light drizzle in the capital. After raising the Tricolour, the Prime Minister received a ‘Rashtriya Salute’. The Punjab Regiment Military band, led by Subedar Major Rajinder Singh and consisting of one JCO and 25 Other Ranks, played the National Anthem during the flag hoisting and presented the ‘Rashtriya Salute’.
Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his greetings to the nation on his social media platform X, posting, "Independence Day greetings to my fellow Indians. Jai Hind!". Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, he was welcomed by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, and Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane. The Defence Secretary then introduced the General Officer Commanding (GoC) of the Delhi Area, Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar, to the Prime Minister.
The GoC, Delhi Area, conducted PM Narendra Modi to the Saluting Base, where a combined Inter-Services and Delhi Police Guard presented a general salute to the Prime Minister. Thereafter, the Prime Minister inspected the Guard of Honour. The Guard of Honour contingent for the Prime Minister consists of one officer and 24 personnel each from the Army, Air Force, and Delhi Police. After hoisting the flag, PM Modi began his customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the iconic monument. The Indian Navy is the coordinating service this year.
The Guard of Honour was commanded by Commander Arun Kumar Mehta. The Army contingent in the Prime Minister’s Guard was commanded by Major Arjun Singh, the Naval contingent by Lieutenant Commander Gulia Bhavesh NK, and the Air Force contingent by Squadron Leader Akshara Uniyal. The Delhi Police contingent was commanded by Additional DCP Anurag Dwivedi. With the aim to increase Jan Bhagidari in this festival of national fervour, around 6,000 special guests have been invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort this year.
Immediately after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the National Flag, flower petals were showered over the venue by two Advanced Light Helicopters Dhruv from the Indian Air Force, flying in Line Astern Formation. The helicopters were captained by Wing Commander Amber Agarwal and Wing Commander Rahul Nainwal. This year’s Independence Day theme, ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047,’ emphasizes the government's commitment to driving the nation's transformation into a developed country by 2047. The celebrations aim to further this vision.
