Armed Forces to conduct flypast on Sunday to salute, shower petals to Corona warriors: Bipin Rawat

New Delhi, May 01: General Bipin Rawat, chief of defence staff, addressing a press conference on Friday, thanked Covid warriors. The joint presser comes at a time when the country is under lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing a joint presser, CDS General Bipin Rawat praised the frontline healthcare workers for their efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic. "On behalf of armed forces, we want to thank all COVID-19 warriors. Doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, police, home guards, delivery boys and media which has been reaching out with the message of government on how to carry on with lives in difficult times," Bipin Rawat said, news agency ANI reported.

"There are some special activities that nation will get to witness. Indian Air Force will conduct flypast from Srinagar to Trivandrum and another one starting from Dibrugarh in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat. It'll include both transport & fighter aircraft," Rawat further said. During the Indian Air Force's flypast, the aircraft will also be showering flower petals at some places.

The Army "on its part will conduct mountain band displays along some of the COVID-19 hospitals in almost every district of our country. The armed forces will also lay wreathe at the police memorial on 3 May in support of our police forces".

The Navy on its part will have its warships deployed in formations in coastal areas in the evening on May 3. Navy warships would also be lit up and their choppers would be used for showering petals on hospitals

This is the first time the Chief of Defence Staff - a post created by the government to integrate the three wings of the armed forces and trim the weapons procurement process - will be speaking to the media, in the presence of the three service chiefs.