India celebrated the 70th Republic Day with patriotic fervour with President Ram Nath Kovind unfurling the tricolour at Rajpath with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, the chief guest of this year’s Republic Day, Vice-President M Vankaiah Naidu, former PM Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, several union ministers, political leaders and the thousands of common people attending the central celebrations.
President Kovind handed over the gallantry awards among brave soldiers who laid down their lives for the motherland.
The military might of the country was out at Rajpath during the eye-catching Republic Day Parade. One of the highlights of the parade was the all-women contingent of Assam Rifles led by Major Khusboo Kanwar.
The tableaus of States, union territories and Government minsteries based on various themes also took part in the parade. The tableaux of Assam depicted Mahatma Gandhi’s movement in the State along with the handloom industry of Sualkuchi.
The grand finale of the parade was a spectacular flypast by the Indian Air Force.
