PM Modi delivers 77th Independence speech from ramparts of Red Fort

As India marks its 77th Independence Day, PM Narendra Modi Tuesday unfurled the country’s national flag at the Red Fort and paid tributes to the freedom fighters “who contributed towards the independence of country”. (PTI)

PM Modi wished the nation on Independence Day and said a new world order is in the works after the pandemic, similar to the one brought about by the end of World War II. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Referring to the Manipur crisis, PM Modi said that a path to a solution in the northeastern state will be found through peace. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, PM Modi also made a strong pitch for a third term for his government, saying that he would inaugurate the projects whose foundation stones were being laid now. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Upon his arrival at the Red Fort, PM Modi was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Prime Minister Modi also inspected the honour guard during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

This year, the Army was the coordinating service and Major Vikas Sangwan commanded the Guard of Honour. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

In picture, the prime minister is seen meeting NCC cadets after his address to the nation. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid floral tributes at the Samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on the occasion. (PTI)

In picture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seen taking salute during the 77th Independence Day function in New Delhi. (PTI)

In his address, PM Modi also said his government has changed the thinking about border villages through its ‘Vibrant Villages’ scheme. “The village on the border is not India’s last village, as was said before, it is the first village of the country,” he said. (PTI)

During his 90-minute speech, Modi addressed people as “mere pyare pariwarijan” or his family and spoke about how his government has taken several steps for the welfare of various sections of society. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri)

This was the Prime Minister’s 10th straight Independence Day address since he assumed the top post, and his last before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. (PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday tied Manmohan Singh’s tally of addresses delivered from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Around 1,800 people from different walks of life were invited from across the country to be a part of the celebrations as special guests. (PTI)

The ‘special guests’ were invited as part of the government’s “Jan Bhagidari” push to encourage public participation in governance. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

The elite guests include 400 sarpanches of more than 660 ‘vibrant villages’ along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

During their stay in Delhi, some of the special guests are scheduled to visit the National War Memorial and call on Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt, a Defence Ministry statement said. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

At the conclusion of the speech of the Prime Minister, 1,100 cadets of National Cadet Corps (NCC) sang the National Anthem. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)

Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, Delhi Police officers had said that while the capacity of the Red Fort is estimated at 26,484, they are expecting the crowds to swell up to 30,000-40,000. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)