CM Dhami Tunes In Live as PM Modi Joins IAF Air Show in Varanasi
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
High above the ghats of Varanasi, the Indian Air Force turned the sky into a statement — and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made sure the moment did not go unwitnessed, sharing a live broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's participation in the IAF air show on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
CM Dhami posted in Hindi, 'LIVE: आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी द्वारा वाराणसी में IAF के भव्य एयर शो में सहभागिता' — translating as: 'LIVE: Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's participation in the grand IAF Air Show in Varanasi.' The post linked directly to the live broadcast stream.
Why Varanasi, and Why the IAF Chooses Its Stages Carefully
Varanasi is no ordinary venue for a national-level spectacle. It is PM Modi's own parliamentary constituency — the ancient city in Uttar Pradesh that has repeatedly served as a backdrop for major government programmes. Hosting an Indian Air Force public air show here layers civic pride onto strategic optics: the country's most celebrated military aviation branch performing for the people of the Prime Minister's own seat.
The Indian Air Force periodically stages these public air shows across major Indian cities as a demonstration of operational capabilities — a window for citizens into the hardware and human skill that underpin national defence. For the armed forces, the civilian audience matters as much as the military message.
Modi at the Controls of Public Engagement With the Military
PM Modi's attendance at IAF events has become a recognisable feature of his public calendar — a deliberate, recurring signal of executive-level engagement with the armed forces. These are not passive appearances; they are carefully choreographed moments that place the Prime Minister visibly alongside India's defence establishment in front of a mass audience.
For CM Dhami, amplifying the live broadcast is consistent with the BJP's broader culture of real-time political communication — keeping party supporters and the public connected to high-profile national events as they unfold, rather than waiting for post-event coverage.
The skies over the ancient city roared on a Sunday afternoon. Whether the show's images endure beyond the day depends on what the IAF puts in the air — but the audience, clearly, was already watching.