New Delhi, April 25
A central government programme held in Bhojpur district of Bihar on Saturday has been accepted by the Guinness Book of Records as one that saw largest number of people till date anywhere in the world waving the national flag.
“In the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, India has created a record in waving the National Flag. On April 23, 2022, India entered the Guinness Book of World Records by waving 78,220 tricolours simultaneously at the Veer Kunwar Singh Vijayotsav programme at Duler Ground in Jagdishpur, Bhojpur, Bihar,” a press release issued by the Ministry of Culture said today.
The previous world record was set by 56,000 Pakistanis who waved their national flag at a function in Lahore in 2004.
The picture of a certificate purportedly from the Guinness Book of Records, which was attached by the Ministry of Culture with the press release, stated, “The most people waving flags was achieved by Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India (India) to celebrate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, at Jagdishpur, Bhojpur, Bihar, India”.
The programme was witnessed by representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records and participants were asked to wear bands for physical identification. The complete event is documented in video form, the press release added.
The function was arranged to pay tribute to Veer Kunwar Singh, who is considered one of the ‘heroes’ of the first war of independence of 1857.
Union Ministers RK Singh, Ashwini Choubey and Nityanand Rai were also present at the event.