New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Lal Krishna Advani on Tuesday unfurled the national flag at his residence on the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day.
The veteran leader, after unfurling the tricolor, stood for the national anthem with his family members.

Republic Day is celebrated in India every year on 26 January to commemorate the day the Constitution of the nation came into effect.
Though India gained independence on August 15, 1947, it did not have its own laws which were drafted and finally adopted in 1950.
On the occasion of the 72nd Republic Day, the national flag was unfurled at Rajpath in the presence of President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries including Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The parade was commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva medal, General Officer Commanding Delhi Area.
Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area were the Parade, Second-in-Command.
Apart from tableaus of Armed Forces, 17 tableaus from different states and nine tableaus from different ministries and departments of the Central government and Paramilitary Forces and six from Ministry of Defence were displayed during the annual parade. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): Indian National Congress (INC) on Tuesday extended its support to the farmers protesting against the three Central farm laws.
“The farmers, labourers & workers are the true strength of the Indian republic,” the party tweeted.
Senior Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot also expressed his solidarity with the protesting farmers.
“Changing decisions after considering public sentiment is not contempt but looks noble,” tweeted Gehlot.
“Government can talk to farmers on bringing new laws after building a consensus,” he added.
Protests against the Central agri laws intensified in the national capital on Tuesday as groups of farmers were seen indulging in vandalism of public property and targeting police personnel deployed for Republic Day security.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws-Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): The girl students of Delhi government schools on Tuesday perfomed “Hum Fit Toh India Fit” dance at the Republic Day parade at Rajpath, representing the ‘Fit India Movement.’
“Milkar badhein aao manzil ki aur, laaein Fit India ka Daur” (Let’s move to the destination bringing Fit India) more than a hundred students of Yamuna Vihar’s Government Girls Senior Secondary School enthralled the spectators with a power-packed performance at Rajpath- a boulevard in the heart of Delhi where the Repubic Day’s main function is held every year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the “Fit India Movement” on the occasion of National Sports Day on August 29, 2019. It is a nation-wide campaign that aims at encouraging people to include physical activities and sports in their everyday lives.
The senior students of Delhi Tamil Association Schools presented the folk dances of Tamil Nadu in the parade. The children in colorful attire mesmerised people with their performance.
The diverse folk dances of the southern state in their traditional dresses fascinated all at Rajpath.
Tamil Nadu has a rich tradition of folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations. The conduct of folk dances on occasions of temple festivals and community functions give entertainment, mirth and merry to the villagers.
The Eastern Zone Cultural Centre, Kolkata, performed Bajasal, a folk dance of Odisha which is usually performed during weddings.
The Bajasal is one of the most beautiful folk dances of Kalahandi, Odisha. Here ‘Baja’ means the instrument, a drum played in the dance and ‘Sal’ means the place where these instruments are played. Before the marriage function, many pre-marriage functions are held according to their traditional rites and rituals.
Apart from this, the students of Mount Abu Public School and Vidya Bharti School, Delhi also performed dance to highlight the government’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative. (ANI)

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], January 26 (ANI): The health condition of former All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) leader VK Sasikala, who is undergoing COVID-19 treatment here at a Bengaluru hospital, is stable.
“Sasikala is stable and comfortable and is taking oral food normally. She is walking with support,” informed the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) on Tuesday.
The medical college also revealed that she is being treated as per standard protocol for COVID-19 and is being continuously monitored, it added.
The close aide of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister late J Jayalalitha was admitted to Lady Curzon Hospital following complaints of fever and later she was admitted to BMCRI and tested positive for COVID-19 in an RT-PCR test on January 21.
She is currently serving a sentence in a disproportionate assets case. In 2019, the Income Tax Department had attached properties worth Rs 1,600 crore belonging to the former AIADMK leader under the provisions of the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act.
Following her being sent to prison, a controversy had broken out after a committee report alleged that Sasikala had been receiving special treatment inside the prison. (ANI)

Patiala (Punjab) [India], January 26 (ANI): Asserting that his heart was with the farmers protesting against the central laws on the Republic Day, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday appealed to the farmers to ensure that their ‘tractor rally’ event remains peaceful.
As per the statement, Singh said that the Centre had deliberately kept Punjab out of the high-powered committee, knowing that the voices of protest would rise from the state. The Chief Minister declared that farmers’ voices will continue to rise till their interests are secured.
Punjab was included in the high-powered committee only after he wrote to the Centre on the issue, neither he nor his government were ever asked or consulted about the new farm laws, the state government said.
The Chief Minister appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fulfill the demands of the agitating farmers, who are sitting at Delhi’s borders for the past two months. “The farm laws are completely wrong as they are against federalism since agriculture is a state subject under Schedule 7 of the Constitution,” he said.
Unfurling the national tricolor here at Raja Bhalindra Singh sports complex, the Chief Minister recalled the contribution of Baba Saheb BR Ambedkar, who had drafted the Constitution which remains the foundation of the nation’s governance till date.
Hoping that the farmers’ tractor rally today passes off as peacefully as their agitation so far has been, the Chief Minister said, “Old farmers are sitting at the borders of the national capital, not for themselves but their children and the future generations.”
“Be peaceful, and the country is with you. 122 MPs in the UK had spoken in favor of the farmers and other countries had also supported the protests as the farmers had been peaceful all along,” he added.
Protests against the Central agri laws intensified in the national capital on Tuesday as groups of farmers were seen indulging in vandalism of public property and targeting police personnel deployed for Republic Day security.
Reports of farmers breaking barricades to enter Delhi and indulging in vandalism poured from several parts of the city.
Protesting farmers have now reached ITO after breaking police barricades placed opposite old Delhi Police headquarters and were seen attacking police personnel and vandalising vehicles.(ANI)

New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): Violence continued near ITO area in the national capital as tractors driven by protestors deliberately tried to run over police personnel deployed in the area.
Protesting farmers reached ITO after breaking police barricades placed opposite old Delhi Police headquarters and were seen attacking police personnel and vandalising vehicles.
Several people including police personnel suffered injuries during the clash between protesting farmers and police.

Protests against the Central agri laws intensified in the national capital on Tuesday as groups of farmers were seen indulging in vandalism of public property and targeting police personnel deployed for Republic Day security.

Reports of farmers breaking barricades to enter Delhi and indulging in vandalism poured from several parts of the city.
Delhi Police officials sit on the road in Nangloi to block the area where farmers holding tractor parade have reached.
As the protests have intensified, the gates of several metro stations have been closed.
“Entry/exit gates of Samaypur Badli, Rohini Sector 18/19, Haiderpur Badli Mor, Jahangir Puri, Adarsh Nagar, Azadpur, Model Town, GTB Nagar, Vishwavidyalaya, Vidhan Sabha and Civil Lines are closed,” DMRC tweeted.
Entry/exit gates of all stations on the green line, Lal Quila, Indraprastha and ITO metro stations have been closed.
Meanwhile, farmer leader and Spokesperson, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) Rakesh Tikait denied any reports of violence by farmers.
“Rally is going on peacefully. I don’t have any knowledge of it (violence). We are at Ghazipur and are releasing the traffic here,” he said.
Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)