Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended greetings to the people of the country on the occasion of the Republic Day 2022.
India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday (January 26) amid the surge in COVID-19 pandemic.
"आप सभी को गणतंत्र दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। जय हिंद!
Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind! #RepublicDay"
Modi said in a Twitter post.
On Tuesday, President Ram Nath Kovind extended greetings to the people of the country in his address to the nation on the eve of India's Republic Day and stated that "this year’s celebrations may be muted due to the pandemic, but the spirit is as strong as ever".
Saying that the pandemic is still widespread, the President cautioned against neglecting preventive measures. "We must remain alert and not let our guard down. The precautions we have taken till now have to be continued. Wearing mask and maintaining social distancing have been essential parts of COVID appropriate behaviour," he said.
Meanwhile, the prime minister on Tuesday congratulated Padma Award winners.
"Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma awards. The entire nation cherishes their accomplishments and we are all proud of their contributions to society," Modi said.
The president approved conferment of 128 Padma awards, including two duo cases, four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shri awards. Thirty-four of the awardees are women and the list also includes 10 persons from the category of foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI and 13 posthumous awardees, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).