New Delhi: With Covid-19 protocols in place and the protesting farmers’ tractor march scheduled in the national capital, the 72nd Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi will certainly wear a different look on Tuesday.
The Republic Day parade ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial. As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute.
In its 72nd Republic Day, India will show its military might with Rafale fighter jets taking part in the flypast for the first time and the armed forces showcasing T-90 tanks, the Samvijay electronic warfare system, Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets, among others, said the Defence Ministry on Monday.
A total of 32 tableaux — 17 of various states and UTs, nine of ministries and six from the defence arm — will be seen going down Rajpath this year. Among these, the tableaux of Ladakh –– the Union Territory that was created in 2019 after bifurcation of Jammu & Kashmir –– will be included for the first time.
A 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh armed forces will also march on Rajpath.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will showcase models of light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas and indigenously developed anti-tank guided missile Dhruvastra on its tableaus during the parade, the ministry noted.
The Indian Navy’s tableau at the Republic Day parade this year will showcase models of Indian naval ship (INS) Vikrant and naval operations that were conducted during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
