Manmohan Singh became the
first Prime Minister outside the Gandhi-Nehru family to unfurl the national
tri-colour from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the 10th time. Only Jawaharlal
Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi have hoisted the flag more than 10 times at
the Red Fort.
Nehru had hoisted the
national flag 17 consecutive times while Indira Gandhi got the honour 16 times.
Indira Gandhi had unfurled the flag 11 consecutive times between 1966 and 1977.
Dr. Singh, who assumed office
on May 22, 2009 for the second consecutive term, already has the distinction of
being the third longest serving Prime Minister after Nehru and Gandhi.
Dr. Singh’s predecessor Atal
Bihari Vajpayee had unfurled the tricolour from the Red Fort six consecutive
times from 1998 to 2003.
Dr. Singh, the country’s 14th
Prime Minister, first hoisted the tricolour on August 15, 2004, nearly four
months after he assumed office in May. Nehru was the first Prime Minister to
unfurl the flag from the ramparts of the 17th century Mughal monument on August
15, 1947 after India
became independent.
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