NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke away from tradition and took a long walk on the Rajpath to greet the spectators after the Republic Day Parade on Friday. The cheers and chants of "Modi, Modi" could be heard when the PM took the walk.
Modi was dressed in a saffron, red and green coloured 'safa'. He waved at the crowd enthusiastically with his security personnel walking with him and his motorcade following.
The cheers grew louder as he went close to seating enclosures with the spectators waving back at him and jostling to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister.
#WATCH Delhi: PM Narendra Modi greets people after #RepublicDay parade pic.twitter.com/TtACMHS6hd
— ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2018
This is not the first time that Modi went past the security cover to greet the audience. After his Independence Day speech at the Red Fort last year, the PM had moved out of his security cordon to shake hands with children.
The 69th Republic Day celebrations were held at Rajpath in Delhi amid high security. Ten ASEAN nations attended the event as chief guests. Twenty-three tableaux, including those representing various states, ministries, the All India Radio (AIR) among others rolled down the Rajpath on Friday.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi paid tributes to martyrs by laying a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti in the presence of Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the three service chiefs.
