The Prime Minister also broke Indira Gandhi’s record by delivering 12 consecutive speeches from the ramparts of Red Fort to stand next only to Jawaharlal Nehru who delivered 17 Independence Day addresses in a row.

The Prime Minister’s speech this year started with a stern warning to Pakistan that India will no longer tolerate any sort of nuclear blackmail and will give a befitting reply.

The Prime Minister also promised a big Diwali gift in form of next-generation GST reforms and said the taxes paid by people would reduce drastically, benefiting small industries and MSMEs. PM Modi also announced the launch of a Rs 1 lakh crore scheme for the youth — the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana — under which those getting first jobs in the private sector will get Rs 15,000 from the government.

Reiterating his push for an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Prime Minister said: “Those who are dependent on others raise a question mark over their own freedom, and this happens even more when we get used to being dependent on others. That is why we must remain aware. Self-reliance is not limited to export and imports. It is also related to our capabilities. Therefore, to increase our capabilities, we must be self-reliant.”

Explaining his point, he made references to the recently used made-in-India weapons during Operation Sindoor. “Had we not been self-reliant, would we be able to carry out Operation Sindoor at such a level? In the last 10 years, we set our target to become self-reliant in the defence sector, and today we are seeing the results.”