PM Modi to address nation from Red Fort on Independence Day

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead India’s 80th Independence Day ceremony from Delhi’s Red Fort on Saturday, unfurling the Tricolour before delivering his 13th consecutive address from its ramparts.

The morning programme will begin with Modi being received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh. He will inspect the Guard of Honour before proceeding to the ramparts. Captain Sonia Singh Chauhan will assist with the flag hoisting, timed with a 21-gun salute by the 1721 Field Battery.

Two Mi-17 helicopters will shower flower petals before the Prime Minister’s speech. NCC cadets and My Bharat volunteers will then sing ‘Vande Mataram’, followed by the national anthem. This will be the first time the national song is rendered during the Red Fort celebrations, which will also mark 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’.

For residents travelling through central Delhi, traffic curbs around the Red Fort begin at 4am. Doordarshan’s live coverage is scheduled to start at 6.30am on DD National, DD News and its digital platforms; the ceremony will also stream through PIB, the Prime Minister’s Office, Doordarshan and WAVES channels.