Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the nation on the occasion of the 68th Republic Day and paid tribute to the martyrs of the country. And, after the function ended, in a first, he decided to walk on Rajpath, surrounded by a security ring, to wave to the cheering crowd.
"Republic Day greetings to everyone," Modi said in a tweet.
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Modi then paid tribute to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate early morning as the nation celebrates the day.
Modi was accompanied by Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba. After laying the wreath, Modi observed a two-minute silence to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the guest of honour at the R-Day Parade this year.
Soon after the function ended and President Pranab Mukherjee left the venue along with the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Modi greeted people seated on both sides of Rajpath soon. He first walked towards people sitting on the opposite side of the saluting dais and then crossed the road to wave to people sitting on the other side. The security personnel kept pace with him and maintained a security ring around him.
