PM Modi to Deliver Record-Setting 11th Consecutive Independence Day Address

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 12th August. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to deliver his eleventh consecutive Independence Day address on Thursday, marking his first since returning to power for a record-equalling third consecutive term. This milestone places him in the ranks of India’s longest-serving prime ministers, equaling the record set by Jawaharlal Nehru, the nation’s first prime minister.

When PM Modi took the oath of office on June 9, he matched Nehru’s historic achievement of serving three terms as prime minister. With this upcoming address, he will become the third prime minister, after Nehru and his daughter, Indira Gandhi, to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on eleven consecutive August 15th celebrations.

Nehru, a key figure in the Indian National Congress, holds the record for the most Independence Day speeches, having delivered 17 in total. Indira Gandhi, who served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977, and again from January 1980 to October 1984, gave 16 speeches, including 11 consecutive ones. By delivering his eleventh speech this year, PM Modi will also surpass former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s tally of ten Independence Day addresses.

PM Modi’s first Independence Day speech in 2014 introduced major initiatives such as Swachh Bharat and Jan Dhan accounts. Over the years, his addresses have continued to be a platform for significant announcements.

PM Modi’s Independence Day speeches are notable not just for their frequency but also for their length. On average, his speeches last 82 minutes, longer than those of any other prime minister in India’s history. The longest of his speeches, delivered in 2016, stretched to 94 minutes, while his shortest, in 2017, was 55 minutes. The trend of longer speeches began with Indira Gandhi, whose longest address in 1972 lasted 54 minutes, compared to Nehru’s first speech in 1947, which was just 24 minutes long.

As PM Modi prepares for this significant address, the nation awaits his message with anticipation, reflecting on the impact and legacy of his tenure.