President Murmu to lead nation in celebrating 74th R-Day; 6 Agniveers to also take part in parade
New Delhi (PTI): Six Agniveers will be part of the Navy's marching contingent during the 74th Republic Day celebrations on Thursday when the ceremonial parade will take place on the Kartavya Path amid patriotic fervour.
This was stated in a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on the eve of the celebrations.
President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating the Republic Day, and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the chief guest at the ceremonial event.
The military assets which will be displayed during the parade include made-in-India equipment, showing the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat, officials had earlier said.
Main battle tank Arjun, Nag Missile System (NAMIS) and K-9 Vajra will also be showcased, the defence ministry said in the statement.
"The Indian Navy contingent will comprise 144 young sailors led by Lt Cdr Disha Amrith as the contingent commander. For the first time ever, the marching contingent consists three women and six Agniveers.
"It will be followed by the naval tableau, designed on the theme 'Indian Navy - Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof'. It will showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy, 'Nari Shakti' and key indigenously designed and built assets under 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'," the statement said.
The ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial and paying tributes to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the prime minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Kartavya Path to witness the parade.
As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. Among, the many firsts, the ceremonial salute will be given with 105-mm Indian field guns. It replaces the vintage 25-pounder guns, reflecting upon the growing 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence. Four Mi-17 1V/V5 helicopters of 105 Helicopter Unit will shower flower petals on the audience present at Kartavya Path, the statement said.
The parade will commence with the president taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, a second-generation Army officer. Maj Gen Bhavnish Kumar, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.
Three Param Vir Chakra awardees and three Ashok Chkara awardees will also take part in the parade, and a "veterans tableau" will also be part of it with the theme -- 'Towards India's Amrit Kaal with a Resolve of Veterans' Commitment'.
For the first time, a combined band and marching contingent of the Egyptian Armed Forces will be taking part in the ceremonial parade.
The contingent will consist of 144 soldiers, representing the main branches of the Egyptian Armed Forces led by Col Elkharasawy.
The first contingent in the uniform of the 61 Cavalry will be led by Capt Raizada Shaurya Bali. The 61 Cavalry is the only serving active horse cavalry regiment in the world, "with the amalgamation of all the state horse units," it said.
The Indian Air Force contingent will comprise 144 air warriors and four officers, led by Sqn Ldr Sindhu Reddy. The Air Force tableau, designed on the theme 'Indian Air Force Power Beyond Boundaries', will display a rotating globe highlighting IAF's expanded reach, whereby it has been able to provide humanitarian assistance across borders, as also exercises conducted with friendly countries.
The Republic Day celebrations will take place on the revamped Central Vista avenue and will be the first at the ceremonial boulevard after Rajpath was renamed to Kartavya Path last year.
This year, invites have been sent to common people from all walks of the society such as 'Shramyogis' involved in construction of Central Vista, Kartavya Path, New Parliament Building, milk, vegetable vendors, and street vendors etc. These special invitees will be prominently seated at Kartavya Path, the statement said.
"Building on last year's celebrations, in the 75th year of the Independence, celebrated as the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the celebrations this year shall witness zeal, enthusiasm, patriotic fervour and 'janbhagidari', as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
A total of 23 tableaux -- 17 from states and Union territories and six from various ministries and departments -- depicting India's vibrant cultural heritage, and economic and social progress will be part of the parade on the Kartavya Path.
Other states and Union Territories which have been selected to showcase their tableaux on the Katavya Path on January 26 include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
This year the celebrations are being held over a span of more than a week, starting with the 126th birth anniversary of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A one-of-a-kind Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Festival 'Aadi Shaurya - Parv Parakram Ka' was organised here on January. The events will culminate on January 30, which is observed as Martyrs' Day, the statement said.
This year, the Republic Day celebrations will see attractive performances by dancers from Vande Bharatam group from across the country, tales of bravery by 'Veer Gatha 2.0' participants, melodious performances by school bands at the National War Memorial, largest-ever drone show and 3-D anamorphic projection, it said.
Defence Ministry officials on January 18 had said that the government had put 32,000 tickets on sale online for the masses. And, for the first time, all official invites for the ceremonial event will be sent online, they had said.
"The Republic Day Parade, which will begin at around 10:30 AM, will be a unique mix of the country's military prowess and cultural diversity, depicting the country's growing indigenous capabilities, 'Nari Shakti' and emergence of a 'New India'," the statement said.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will showcase one tableau and equipment. The theme of the tableau is 'Securing Nation with Effective Surveillance, Communication and Neutralising Threats', the statement said.
Indigenously-developed Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP), a modular 8X8 wheeled combat platform carried on a 70-ton trailer will be displayed by the DRDO in the form of equipment, it added.
Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar are conferred on children with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievement in the fields of bravery, art & culture, sports, innovation and social service. Eleven winning children, in jeeps, will be driven down Kartavya Path, it said.
Fifty aircraft will take part in the 74th Republic Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path that will include aerial display by nine Rafale and the Navy's IL-38 which will be showcased at the event for the first and perhaps the last time, a senior official had earlier said.
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Karnataka power tussle: BJP leader calls Siddaramaiah 'Sultan for 15 days'
Bengaluru/Bagalkot (PTI): In the midst of the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, senior BJP leader and MP Govind Karjol called CM Siddaramaiah "Pandrah din-ka-Sultan" (Sultan for 15 days), and said after that, he will not be the chief minister of the state.
Speculation has once again surfaced within the Congress party and political circles about a possible decision on leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, once the results for Assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, are announced.
"With the fight for the CM chair in the Congress, there seems to be no administration at Vidhana Soudha. The result for Siddaramaiah's CM chair fight will also be declared, along with election results for five states (four states and one union territory) and bypoll results for Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly seats in Karnataka," Karjol, a former Deputy CM, said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "As per today's information, Siddaramaiah is a Sardar for fifteen days, he is Pandrah din-ka-Sultan, after that Siddaramaiah will not be the chief minister of the state."
Stating that Shivakumar is ready to take up the top job, the MP said that this is the reason Siddaramaiah's supporters have gone to New Delhi to meet the Congress President.
"Already 40-odd legislators have lobbied in support of Siddaramaiah; about 50 are lobbying in support of Shivakumar. Amid this fight for the CM chair, the administration has completely collapsed," he said, urging the government to focus on addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer by releasing at least Rs 50 crore per district.
PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi on Monday met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and General Secretary (in charge of Karnataka) Randeep Surjewala in New Delhi and requested them to address the speculation regarding the change of leadership in Karnataka.
Subsequently, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa too met the party leadership in Delhi.
Both Jarkiholi and Mahadevappa are considered close to Siddaramaiah.
While MLAs and leaders who want Shivakumar to be elevated as CM have recently claimed they expect some "sweet news" by May 15, which is their leader's birthday.
Meanwhile, a team of 40 MLAs is preparing to visit New Delhi to press the Congress high command for a Cabinet reshuffle.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka hit out at the Congress leadership for indulging in "power tussle" instead of addressing the people's concerns. He called the government "anti-people" and "dead" to the people of the state.
With the fight for the CM chair, the ruling Congress in Karnataka seems to be shifting to Delhi. Congress MLAs are repeatedly touring Delhi, upset over the state leadership amid a power struggle between the CM and Deputy CM. This proves that there is no value for the state leadership," he said.
Pointing out that the Deputy CM Shivakumar was not present at the recent special cabinet meeting, which decided on internal reservation among SCs, the opposition leader said, "If the cabinet meeting was held purposely, despite knowing that Shivakumar was in Delhi, it proves that there are factions within the party"
"This government is dead in a way," he said, as he hit out at the Congress MLAs and Ministers, including Shivakumar, for doing "Delhi Yatras" instead of addressing drinking water issues in various parts of the state amid summer, picking up in the state.
