Country was very pained at dishonour to Tricolour on Republic Day: PM on Red Fort violence

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the country was very pained at seeing the dishonour to the Tricolour on Republic Day, referring to the religious flag incident at the Red Fort during the farmers' tractor parade.

In his monthly Mann ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi also said the government is committed to modernising agriculture and is taking many steps in this regard.

"In Delhi, on January 26, the country was very pained seeing the dishonour to the Tricolour," he said.

Thousands of protesting farmers had breached the monument on January 26 after deviating from their tractor rally route triggering a conflict with the police.

In his broadcast, the prime minister also said that India has not only rolled out the world's largest vaccination drive but is also vaccinating its citizens at the fastest rate.

The country has vaccinated over 30 lakh corona warriors in 15 days, he said, adding the US and the UK took 18 and 36 days to reach this figure.

He said the government is committed to modernising agriculture and is taking many steps in this regard.

Modi added that the government's efforts in this direction will continue.

The prime minister's remarks come amid ongoing protests by thousands of farmers, mostly from Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, at several border points into Delhi since November-end, demanding a repeal of the three new agri laws and a legal guarantee to the minimum support system for their crops.

Modi also touched upon the Padma awards announced last week, and said the country has continued the recent tradition of honouring unsung heroes.

The prime minister also hailed the Indian cricket team's performance in its historic series win in Australia, saying the team's hard work and teamwork was inspirational.