by: Navjeevan Express

Air Force to conduct flypasts on Sunday, shower petals to thank COVID-19 warriors: CDS

NE NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MAY 1

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Friday expressed gratitude to all professionals fighting coronavirus at the forefront, including doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police, home guards, delivery boys and media.

“We are expressing our gratitude to all ‘corona warriors’ who are working hard to keep us safe,” General Bipin Rawat also said.

The Air Force will conduct a flypast on Sunday to salute Corona warriors, General Bipin Rawat further said, “Indian Air Force will conduct flypast from Srinagar to Trivandrum and another one starting from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat. It’ll include both transport and fighter aircraft,” General Bipin Rawat stated.

Earlier, the Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and three service chiefs addressed a joint press conference on Friday. The three serving military chiefs include Chief of the Indian Army General MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh, and IAF chief RKS Bhadauria.

The CDS added that the Indian Army and the Indian Navy too will join in.

The Army will conduct band displays along some of the Covid-19 hospitals in almost every district of the country, he said, adding that the Indian Navy will also be displaying their formation on the sea to express solidarity with the frontline workers.

The armed forces will also lay a wreath at the police memorial on May 3 to exhibit support for the police forces, he added.

PM welcomes Armed Forces’ thank you gesture for ‘Covid-19 Warriors’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday welcomed the decision of the armed forces to plan a series of events to thank doctors, paramedics and policemen engaged in the country’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

In a series of tweets, he said India has waged a strong fight against COVID-19 due to courageous frontline warriors who have cared and cured many. “They are spectacular. India applauds them and their families,” he said.

The armed forces have always kept the nation safe. Even in times of disasters, they are out there helping people, the prime minister said.

“Now, our forces are, in a unique way, saying a big thank you to our frontline COVID-19 warriors for their endeavour towards making India COVID-19 free,” he said.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had chaired a meeting with the top military brass on coronavirus issue. In April, General Bipin Rawat had said that the defence services “must operate beyond the mandate to support the people and government in whatever way we can.” The defence services emerged successful in combating coronavirus owing to its culture of ‘discipline and patience’, he had also said.