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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on 79th Independence Day

By Editor

Posted on August 15, 2025

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on 79th Independence Day

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi after hoisting the national flag, marking India’s 79th Independence Day today, 15 August.

Modi delivered a nearly two-hour long speech on Friday, Marking the 79th Independence Day, the Prime Minister touched upon many subjects throughout his speech, with key areas being Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, a push for becoming more self-reliant or ‘aatmanirbhar’ in all sectors, and India’s ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision for 2047, when it completes 100 years of independence.

Without directly naming the United States, he also seemed to respond to President Donald Trump’s 50% tariff threat, vowing that he would “stand like wall” and protect the interests of India’s farmers. In his self-reliance push, he also said the concept was not just limited to rupee or import and export, and asserted that depending on other countries was a “recipe for disaster”.

Talking about Operation Sindoor, PM Modi asserted that the forces were given full operational freedom after April 22 to decide the plan, timing and target of India’s response, saying the forces “punished enemies beyond their imagination”.

Ahead of his address at the Red Fort, PM Modi also extended wishes on Independence Day through a tweet, sharing a vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’. “Wishing everyone a very happy Independence Day. May this day inspire us to keep working even harder to realise the dreams of our freedom fighters and build a Viksit Bharat. Jai Hind!” the Prime Minister wrote.

One of his big announcements during the speech was next-generation GST reforms that would come as a “Diwali gift” for the people. He promised that the reforms would significantly reduce India’s tax burden, boost the econonmy and make daily-use items cheaper.

Besides, he also announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra, a powerful weapons system to be developed by India, which he said would not only neutralised attacks from the enemy, but also hit back.