Narendra Modi on Thursday became the third prime minister, after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, to deliver 11 consecutive speeches on Independence Day. The prime minister with the most number of I-day speeches is Nehru, who addressed the nation 17 consecutive times. Indira Gandhi, who was the PM from 1966 to 1977 and then from 1980 to 1984, addressed the nation on Independence Day 16 times.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi went past former PM Manmohan Singh, who hoisted the Tricolour 10 times during his tenure from 2004 to 2014.
This year’s Independence Day has the theme of ‘Viksit Bharat’ or ‘Developed India’ – which aligns with the government’s vision to transform the nation into a developed country by 2047.
Here are some of the interesting facts:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi joins Jawarharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi as he delivers 11 consecutive Independence Day speeches from the rampart of Red Fort.
- PM Modi went pass former PM Manmohan Singh, who hoisted the Tricolour 10 times during his tenure from 2004 to 2014.
- PM Modi has become the only prime minister to deliver the longest Independence Day speeches in history.
- PM Modi’s shortest speech was 55 minutes in 2017, his longest speech was 94 minutes in 2016.
- After Modi, former PM Inder Kumar Gujral had delivered the longest speech of around 71 minutes, in 1997.
- Nehru’s longest speech was in 1947 for 24 minutes
- Indira Gandhi addressed the nation on Independence Day for a maximum of 54 minutes in 1972.