Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hoisted the tricolour at the iconic Red Fort, marking the nation’s 79th Independence Day with a grand celebration centred on the theme ‘Naya Bharat’, reflecting the vision of achieving ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
Flying Officer Rashika Sharma assisted in the flag hoisting, followed by a spectacular shower of flower petals from two Mi-17 Indian Air Force helicopters — one carrying the national flag and the other the Operation Sindoor flag — piloted by Wing Commanders Vinay Poonia and Aditya Jaiswal.
Upon arrival, PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, MoS Defence Sanjay Seth, and the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. He was presented with a ceremonial guard of honour by a 128-member contingent from the National Flag Guard, the three armed forces, and Delhi Police, led by Wing Commander Arun Nagar.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister visited Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi before proceeding to the Red Fort.
The celebrations featured 2,500 NCC cadets and My Bharat volunteers seated on Gyanpath, forming the ‘Naya Bharat’ logo. Around 5,000 special guests from diverse walks of life were invited, including India’s Special Olympics 2025 contingent, international sports champions, Khelo India Para Games gold medallists, top-performing farmers, and awardees from various government schemes such as PM-VIKAS, PM Van Dhan Yojana, PM Awaas Yojana (Gramin), and the National SC/ST Hub.
For the first time, over 140 patriotic band performances are being staged nationwide on Independence Day evening by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NCC, and paramilitary forces, celebrating Operation Sindoor and fostering a spirit of national pride.
The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign once again ignited patriotic fervour across the country, with Tiranga Yatras held nationwide, reinforcing citizens’ deep connection to the national flag.
