By Priyanka Deshpande
CNBC-TV18.com
Published August 15, 2024
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hoisted the national flag from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the 11th consecutive time, surpassing Manmohan Singh's record. Here’s a look at PM’s with the highest number of flag hoistings.
Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister, holds the record for highest number of flag hoistings. He hoisted the tricolour 17 times from 1947 to 1964.
Indira Gandhi holds the record of hoisting the national flag for the second highest time. She hoisted the flag 16 times, just one shy of Nehru’s record, over two terms.
Modi, the current prime minister of India, has hoisted the tricolour 11 times making him the third highest.
Manmohan Singh, who was prime minister of the Congress-led UPA government for 10 years, hoisted the national flag 10 times between 2004 and 2014.
At fifth spot is Atal Bihari Vajpayee, prime minister for 13 days in 1996 and two incomplete terms from 1998 to 2004, with six flag hoistings.
Rajiv Gandhi, who became the youngest prime minister of India and served for a single term from 1984 to 1989, hoisted the tricolour five times.
P V Narasimha Rao, who served as PM for a single term from 1991 to 1996, equalled Rajiv Gandhi’s record by hoisting the tricolour five times.
Shastri, who was prime minister from June 1964 to January 1966, hoisted the national flag two times.
Equalling Shastri’s record, Desai, who served as prime minister for two years from 1977 to 1979, also hoisted the flag two times.
Charan Singh served as prime minister of India for 170 days between July 1979 and January 1980 and hoisted the tricolour once.
V P Singh, who served as prime minister from 1989 to 1990, also hoisted the national flag once.
Deve Gowda was prime minister for slightly less than a year, June 1996 to April 1997 and hoisted the flag only once.
Gujral, too, was prime minister for slightly less than a year, April 1997 to March 1998, hoisting the tricolour only once.
Of India's 15 prime ministers, Gulzarilal Nanda and Chandra Shekhar were the only ones who did not get a chance to hoist the tricolour even once.