This year it appears that there will be no foreign guest at the Republic Day celebrations. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson who was to be the Chief Guest, cancelled his visit to India due to the fresh lockdown in England and the rapid spread of the new Covid strain. He thanked India for the invitation while cancelling his visit to India through a phone call to Prime Minister Modi. There is hardly any time left for India to look for a new Chief Guest for the curtailed celebrations to be held on Republic Day.
Most likely, the Republic Day Parade will take place without any chief guest. It is the first time since 1966 that there will be no foreign guest at the Republic Day parade. Usually, the name of the guest is finalised and announced months in advance. It may be recalled that after US President Donald Trump declined the invitation for the 2019 celebrations, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted the invite.
India has recently announced that it would resume flights to the UK from the 8 th of January even though England has gone into a fresh and complete lockdown after a fresh surge in Covid cases.
Johnson is expected to visit India before June 2021 after the pandemic in the UK is brought under control.
