Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday extended wishes to all citizens on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day.
Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Modi said, “Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!”
Union home minister Amit Shah, on the other hand, paid tribute to all soldiers who dedicated their lives to keep the pride, unity and integrity of the country's republic intact.
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“Let us all pledge today to ensure our commitment to the democratic values of freedom,” Shah tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}“Let us all pledge today to ensure our commitment to the democratic values of freedom,” Shah tweeted.
{{/usCountry}}Defence minister Rajnath Singh said that Republic Day is an occasion to celebrate the country's democracy and cherish the ideas and values enshrined in the Constitution. “Praying for the continued progress and prosperity of our country,” Singh wrote on the microblogging site.
This is the second consecutive year that Republic Day celebrations are being held amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
In a few hours from now, the iconic parade will begin at the Rajpath in New Delhi. The parade will start with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. This year, only 12 tableaux out of the total 21 will be shown due to the Covid-19 crisis.
To give better live coverage of celebrations, multiple cameras have been installed by government broadcaster Doordarshan at strategic locations including the national stadium dome, the National War Memorial among others.
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In Rajpath, a 360-degree camera has been installed to give people a bird's eye view of the celebrations as they unfold. Another such camera has been placed on top of the India Gate.
Security has been tightened in the national capital and more than 27,000 personnel of the Delhi Police have been deployed on security duties. Companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) will also assist in security. All anti-terror measures have been intensified.
The Delhi Police has said that CCTVs fitted with facial recognition software and anti-drone equipment have been installed.
All major border points in Delhi including Tikri, Ghazipur and Singhu have been sealed to prevent any untoward incident. Patrolling has been intensified at these border points.
(With agency inputs)