CM Vishnu Deo Sai marks 80th Independence Day as Modi hoists tricolour at Red Fort
Synopsis
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai marked India's 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026, sharing PM Narendra Modi's tricolour hoisting at the Red Fort — continuing the republic's oldest ceremonial tradition.
Key Takeaways
India observed its 80th Independence Day on 15 August 2026 .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at the Red Fort in New Delhi, continuing the annual tradition dating to 1947 .
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai acknowledged the ceremony on X, reflecting standard practice among state chief ministers.
The Red Fort flag-hoisting has been conducted by every Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru without interruption.
Modi has presided over the ceremony every year since taking office in 2014 .
On the 80th Independence Day, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai joined the national chorus of commemoration, marking the moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the tricolour from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi on 15 August 2026.
CM Sai's post, written in Hindi, acknowledged the solemn occasion: '80वें स्वतंत्रता दिवस के अवसर पर आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेंद्र मोदी जी ने लाल किले की प्राचीर पर तिरंगा फहराया' — 'On the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, the respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji hoisted the tricolour on the ramparts of the Red Fort.'
Eight decades of the Red Fort tradition
The flag-hoisting ceremony at the Red Fort is among India's most enduring constitutional rituals. Since Jawaharlal Nehru first raised the flag there in 1947, every Prime Minister has observed the tradition annually — a fixed protocol that anchors the nation's collective memory of independence from British rule each 15 August.
Prime Minister Modi, who has presided over the ceremony every year since taking office in 2014, continued that unbroken chain at the 80th milestone. The Red Fort's Lahori Gate remains the symbolic heart of the occasion — its ramparts the stage from which the Prime Minister addresses the nation.
Chief ministers echo the moment
Across India, state chief ministers routinely amplify the central ceremony through social media as part of standard national commemoration. CM Sai's acknowledgement reflects that broader pattern — BJP-governed states in particular tend to align their messaging closely with the Prime Minister's Independence Day address and imagery.
Eighty years in, the tricolour still rises. The tradition holds — and the republic it represents keeps count.
Point of View
Reinforcing party unity and national sentiment simultaneously. For BJP-governed states, alignment with the Red Fort ceremony serves a dual purpose: it is both a genuine patriotic gesture and a signal of ideological cohesion with the Centre. At the 80th milestone, such messaging carries slightly more symbolic weight than a routine annual post, though it carries no substantive policy content. The broader pattern of chief ministers amplifying central ceremonies reflects how social media has formalised what was once an informal act of national solidarity.
NationPress
15 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who hoisted the flag at Red Fort on Independence Day 2026?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort on 15 August 2026, marking India's 80th Independence Day.
What did Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai say on Independence Day 2026?
CM Vishnu Deo Sai posted on X acknowledging PM Modi's flag-hoisting at the Red Fort, writing in Hindi that the Prime Minister had hoisted the tricolour on the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day.
When did the tradition of hoisting the flag at Red Fort on Independence Day begin?
The tradition began on 15 August 1947, when India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort. Every Prime Minister has continued the practice annually since then.
How many Independence Days has Narendra Modi presided over at Red Fort?
PM Modi has presided over the Red Fort Independence Day ceremony every year since taking office in 2014.
Why do state chief ministers post about the Red Fort Independence Day ceremony?
It is standard national commemoration practice for state chief ministers to acknowledge the Prime Minister's Independence Day flag-hoisting at the Red Fort, using the occasion to align with the central ceremony and share patriotic messaging with their constituents.
