Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has suggested cancelling the Republic Day festivities after Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his India visit due to the the coronavirus situation in the U.K., saying getting crowds to cheer the parade as usual would be "irresponsible".
Mr. Johnson, who was scheduled to attend the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi as chief guest, has cancelled his visit to India later this month due to the growing health crisis created by the new coronavirus variant in the UK.
“Now that @BorisJohnson's visit to India this month has been cancelled due to the COVID Second Wave, & we don't have a Chief Guest on Republic Day, why not go one step farther & cancel the festivities altogether?” Mr. Tharoor said in a tweet on Tuesday night.
“Getting crowds to cheer the parade as usual would be irresponsible,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Mr. Johnson on Tuesday, during which the British leader reiterated his thanks for India's invitation for him as the chief guest of the Republic Day celebrations, but regretted his inability to attend.
Mr. Johnson's call with Mr. Modi came a day after he addressed the nation to announce a new stay-at-home lockdown in the U.K. as his medical chiefs warned that the National Health Service was under threat of being overwhelmed by the rising infection rates.
You have reached your limit for free articles this month.
Subscription Benefits Include
Today's Paper
Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.
Unlimited Access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.
Personalised recommendations
A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.
Faster pages
Move smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.
Dashboard
A one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.
Briefing
We brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.
Support Quality Journalism.
*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.
A letter from the Editor
Dear subscriber,
Thank you!
Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.
The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.
We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.
Suresh Nambath
