There will be no chief guest this year at the Republic Day parade at the Rajpath. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was earlier supposed to be the main guest but had to withdraw later due to emergency situation created by the new strain of corona in his country.
Incidentally, it will be the first time since 1966 that the Republic Day parade will have no chief guest. As it is, the celebrations this year will be on a subdued note due to the pandemic. The parade route is shortened and will now end at the National Stadium instead of the Red Fort in previous years.
Moreover, there will be restrictions on number of spectators desirous to see the parade at the Rajpath and not more than 25,000 people will be able to attend it. In previous years, more than one lakh people used to throng the venue besides scores of them lining on each side of the parade route.
Addressing a Press conference, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said due to the situation arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has decided that this year there will not be any foreign head of State or Government as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day event.
The last time the parade did not have a chief guest was in 1966 when Indira Gandhi was sworn in as the Prime Minister on January 24 after the demise of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on January 11.
