New Delhi: The Independence Day celebrations will be celebrated in a completely different way at the Red Fort in the national capital for the first time in history due to the Koreana virus epidemic. Only 20 percent of VVIPs or other participants will be able to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s live speech this year as compared to last year.
Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar and Director General of ASI visited the Red Fort last week to take stock of the preparations. Kumar reviewed the arrangements and asked the officials concerned to make arrangements keeping in mind the physical distance.
Program changes
According to sources, the program will undergo a complete change this time. There will be no children involved. Cadets of the National Cadet Corps will participate in the ceremony at the Red Fort. Similarly, VVIPs will not be able to sit on the ramparts of the fort from where the Prime Minister gives the Independence Day speech. Earlier, around 900 VVIPs used to sit on the ramparts on both sides, but this time they would have to sit on the lower level.
Allowed to seat approximately 100 people
This time only about one hundred people will be allowed to sit. The most important 1,500 winners recovering from corona disease will attend the ceremony. These will have 500 local police. Apart from this, a thousand people from different parts of the country will participate.
Till last year, at least 10,000 people attended the ceremony to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech. In a recent meeting, the Ministry of Defense decided that instead of the public, the winners of Corona should be asked to participate in the Independence Day celebrations. The Ministry of Home Affairs was subsequently asked to work accordingly to implement this new scheme.
