Khattar’s Republic Day event venue shifted to Panchkula

KARNAL: A day before Republic Day, the Haryana government on Monday changed the chief guests of several district headquarters celebrations.

As per the new schedule issued by the government, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar will now hoist the national flag in Panchkula instead of Panipat. Shifting of Khattar’s programme has necessitated shifting of state Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya’s programme from Panchkula to Haryana Raj Bhawan at Chandigarh.

Panipat SP Shashank Kumar Sawan confirmed the change. “Yes, we have got the information that now the state chief secretary will be the chief guest in Panipat as the CM’s programme has been shifted,” he said.

However, there has been no change in deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala’s schedule and he will unfurl the tricolour at Ambala.

As per the revised programmes issued by the state government, Haryana Vidhan Sabha speaker Gian Chand Gupta will unfurl the national flag at Kurukshetra, deputy speaker Ranbir Gangwa at Mahendragarh, state education minister Kanwar Pal at Gurugram, state transport minister Mool Chand Sharma at Bhiwani, state power minister Ranjit Singh at Yamunanagar, state agriculture minister JP Dalal at Rewari, and state cooperation minister Banwari Lal at Karnal.

Similarly, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment Om Prakash Yadav will unfurl the Tricolour at Jhajjar. The national flag will be unfurled by the commissioners of the respective areas at Sonipat, Palwal and Hisar; and by deputy commissioners of the respective areas at Fatehabad, Rohtak, Kaithal, Jind, Charkhi Dadri, and Sirsa.

In other changes, minister of state Anoop Dhanak will now be in Faridabad for the celebrations instead of minister of state for sports and youth affairs Sandeep Singh. Similarly, minister of state for woman and child development, Kamlesh Dhanda, will unfurl the national flag at Nuh instead of Fatehabad.

While no reason was given for shifting of the CM’s programme, officials monitoring the security arrangements for Republic Day said the venue for Khattar’s programme had to be changed following massive movement of farmers from Haryana and Punjab to Delhi.