Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hoisted the national flag at the Red Fort, ushering in India's 75th year of Independence. It is a tradition as old as the country itself, with all Prime Ministers having stepped out onto the ramparts of the Red Fort to unfurl the flag and then address the nation in a ceremony watched by millions.
Having begun his address at around 7:30 am, the Prime Minister's speech concluded at around 9 am. And while it is nearly eight minutes shy of his record-setting 2016 address, its duration is certainly at par with previous years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Saturday was his eight consecutive one.
Prime Minister Modi's 2021 speech clocked in at around 88 minutes, taking over the third position from last year's speech. His 2019 address had been slightly longer at 92 minutes, while the position of longest Independence Day speech remains with his rather lengthy 96 minutes 2016 address.
Following the lengthy address, Modi had said during a Mann Ki Baat address that many had urged him to keep his speeches shorter. Reacting to the same, he had promised to keep his speeches shorter in the coming years -- something he seemed to keep in mind while delivering the next few addresses. His 2017 address had been a comparatively shorter 56 minutes. -- his shortest till date.
