PM Modi Sets Record with Longest Independence Day Speech at 103 Minutes

New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi set a new record with his Independence Day address from the Red Fort, speaking for an unprecedented 103 minutes. This makes it the longest speech ever delivered by any Indian prime minister on this occasion. Modi surpassed his previous record of a 98-minute speech given during the 78th Independence Day celebrations the previous year.

Notably, his lengthiest speech before 2024 was in 2016, lasting 96 minutes, while his briefest was in 2017, clocking in at 56 minutes. The 79th Independence Day marked another milestone for Modi as he delivered his 12th consecutive address from the Red Fort, surpassing Indira Gandhi's record and second only to Jawaharlal Nehru, who delivered 17 consecutive speeches.

Modi first addressed the nation on Independence Day in 2014, delivering a 65-minute speech. The following years saw speeches of varying lengths: 88 minutes in 2015, 83 minutes in 2018, and close to 92 minutes in 2019. In the pandemic year of 2020, he spoke for 90 minutes.

In 2021, his speech lasted 88 minutes, followed by a 74-minute address in 2022, and again 90 minutes in 2023. Prior to Modi's record-setting performances, former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and I.K. Gujral held the record for the longest Independence Day speeches at 72 and 71 minutes, respectively.

Nehru and Indira Gandhi also hold the record for the shortest Independence Day speeches, each speaking for only 14 minutes in 1954 and 1966, respectively. Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee are also known for their concise addresses. Singh's briefest speeches were in 2012 and 2013, lasting 32 and 35 minutes, while Vajpayee's short speeches in 2002 and 2003 were only 25 and 30 minutes long.