No flower shower this R-Day

NEW DELHI - The customary showering of flower petals by helicopters flying over Rajpath had to be abandoned this Republic Day Tuesday as a white blanket of fog covered the national capital. Officials said it was too early to say whether the flypast would be called off as well.

Three helicopters flying in an inverted ‘V’ showering petals on the crowds gathered below usually signal the start of the parade. But there was no way helicopters could fly in this weather, said a defence ministry official.

A call on whether the flypast at the end of the parade would be held would be taken only later in the day, the official said.

“It is too early to take a decision on that,” he told IANS.