No foreign leader as chief guest on Republic Day this year

New Delhi: India has decided not to have any foreign leaders as a chief guest for the Republic Day parade this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

“There will be no foreign head of state or head of government as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day event due to the global COVID-19 situation,” the spokesman said at a press briefing.

On January 26, the country will celebrate its Republic Day. One of the important events on that day is the Republic Day parade, to which New Delhi always invites a foreign leader as a chief guest. This year, it was supposed to be UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who cancelled his visit earlier in the month due to the COVID-19 situation in his country. (UNI)