New Delhi, Jan 27: Owing to a bereavement in his family, Atal Bihari Vajpayee today could not attend the NCC rally on the occasion of Republic Day traditionally addressed by the Prime Minister for the last five decades. "The rally has now come to be known as the Prime Minister's NCC rally. But because of the unfortunate circumstances the Prime Minister could not come and he is mourning," Defence Minister George Fernandes told over 1,800 NCC boy and girl cadets at the Garrison parade ground here.
Vajpayee's grand nephew Manish Mishra was killed when he was thrown out of a speeding train for protesting eve teasing by drunken youth near Kosi Kalan in Uttar Pradesh Saturday night. The Prime Minister had attended the funeral yesterday.
Fernandes said, "till yesterday afternoon the Prime Minister had stated that he will try to make it but a message came last night that he will not be able to join".
Senior and junior NCC cadets gave a scintillating display of their skills including a mock exercise by a quick reaction team attacking a 'militant hideout' amidst the sound of gunfire and casualty evacuation, microlite aircraft flying, dropping from an airborne helicopter using the slithering technique, para-sailing and remote-controlled aeromodel flying. NCC, which was set up in 1948, now has 13 lakh cadets countrywide, which is more than the strength of the regular Army. Bureau Report