Since 1947, the Red Fort has served as an iconic platform from where prime ministers like Jawaharlal Nehru, Morarji Desai and Atal Bihari Vajpayee have delivered powerful speeches to invoke the feeling of patriotism among people
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The first prime minister of a newly independent nation, Jawaharlal Nehru was the longest-serving prime minister of India. He delivered 17 speeches from the Red Fort during Independence Day from 1947 to 1964. Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
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Lal Bahadur Shastri was the third prime minister of India, from 1964 to 1966. He delivered two speeches from the rampart of Red Fort. Image Courtesy: @sameepshastri/ Twitter
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The second longest serving prime minister, Indira Gandhi was in office from 1966 to 1984. From the ramparts of Red Fort she delivered her last speech as the prime minister where she said, “If we have achieved independence, we should not rest peacefully that we now have achieved independence. We have to struggle always to maintain it.” Image Courtesy: @rachitseth/ Twitter
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Serving as the fourth prime minister of India, Morarji Desai delivered the first speech at Red Fort post-emergency. Image Courtesy: DD Archive
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India’s youngest prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi held the post from 1984 to 1989. He has delivered the independence speech five times. Image Courtesy: @Congress/ Twitter
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee served as the prime minister twice, once from 16 May to 1 June 1966 and then again from 1998 to 2004. On the occasion of Independence Day of 2003, Vajpayee said in a speech, “Each year on this day, we gather at the Red Fort and unfurl ur beloved Tricolour. The Tricolour is a symbol of our freedom, of our self-respect and sacrifices and martyrdom.” PTI
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has delivered seven speeches till now. PTI
