Shivraj Singh Chouhan marks PM Modi's Red Fort flag hoisting
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
At the break of a historic August morning, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan marked the nation's Independence Day celebration on 15 August 2026 by sharing the moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi.
Chouhan posted on X, noting that 'आदरणीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री नरेन्द्र मोदी जी ने लाल किले की प्राचीर से ध्वजारोहण किया' — 'Respected Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi hoisted the flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort' — on the auspicious occasion of Independence Day.
A tradition that began with Nehru in 1947
The flag hoisting at the Red Fort is among India's most enduring state rituals. The practice was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru on 15 August 1947 and has been observed without interruption by every Prime Minister since. The UNESCO-listed Mughal-era monument in Old Delhi serves as the ceremonial stage for the Prime Minister's nationally televised address each year, where government priorities, scheme updates, and messages to citizens are broadcast across the country.
Narendra Modi has delivered this address every year since taking office in 2014, using the occasion to outline flagship policy directions and speak directly to the Indian public. The address draws one of the largest live audiences of any annual government event in the country.
As the nation awaits the full text of this year's address, attention will turn to any new scheme announcements or policy signals the Prime Minister may have woven into his remarks from the ramparts — the one platform where the government's year-in-review meets its vision for the year ahead.