Country was very pained at dishonour to Tricolour on R-Day: PM Modi on Red Fort incident
New Delhi, Jan 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country was very pained at seeing the dishonour to the Tricolour on Republic Day, referring to the religious flag incident at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade.
In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi also said the government is committed to modernising agriculture and is taking many steps in this regard.
"In Delhi, on January 26, the country was very pained seeing the dishonour to the Tricolour," he said.
Thousands of protesting farmers had breached the monument on January 26 after deviating from their tractor rally route triggering a conflict with the police. A section of protesting farmers hoisted flags from some domes of the iconic monument in the national capital.
In his broadcast, the prime minister also said that India has not only rolled out the world's largest vaccination drive but is also vaccinating its citizens at the fastest rate.
The country has vaccinated over 30 lakh corona warriors in 15 days, he said, adding the US and the UK took 18 and 36 days to reach this figure.
He said the government is committed to modernising agriculture and is taking many steps in this regard. Modi added that the government's efforts in this direction will continue.
The prime minister's remarks come amid ongoing protests by thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, at several border points into Delhi since November-end, demanding a repeal of the three new agri laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support system for their crops.
Modi also touched upon the Padma awards announced last week, and said the country has continued the recent tradition of honouring unsung heroes.
The prime minister also hailed the Indian cricket team's performance in its historic series win in Australia, saying the team's hard work and teamwork was inspirational.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms likely to lash Uttarakhand on Tuesday; IMD issues warning
Dehradun/Pithoragarh (PTI): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for heavy rain and hailstorms across several districts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday, as temperatures remained markedly below normal in the region.
Heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Most places across all districts are expected to receive light to moderate rain or thunderstorms, while higher reaches are likely to witness snowfall, officials said on Monday.
The weather department warned of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, hail and intense spells of rain in six districts, including Dehradun and Nainital. Gusty winds with speeds reaching 40-50 kmph are also expected at isolated locations in these areas and other hilly districts.
In the state capital, Dehradun, the sky is forecast to remain partly cloudy with light rain and thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds of 30-40 kmph.
The maximum and minimum temperatures in the city are expected to hover around 31 degrees Celsius and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours remained markedly below normal in the hills and appreciably below normal in the plains. While no significant change in temperature is expected over the next 2-3 days, the IMD predicts a rise of 3-5 degrees Celsius during the subsequent 3-4 days.
Rainfall was recorded in several areas after 8.30 am today, with Ramnagar receiving 31.5 mm and Nainital recording 26.5 mm. Other areas, including Pithoragarh, Khatima and Champawat, also reported moderate precipitation.
Authorities have stopped a batch of 36 Adi Kailash pilgrims at the Dharchula base camp and placed the high-altitude yatra route on high alert following heavy rains and hailstorms in the district on Monday.
Dharchula SDM Ashish Joshi said the pilgrimage was halted due to adverse weather conditions. The issuance of new inner-line passes has been suspended until the weather normalises.
With 1,700 passes issued so far, pilgrims already at higher camps are being monitored for safety, the official added.
