PM Modi to dedicate National War Memorial on Feb 25

New Delhi, Feb 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate the National War Memorial to the country on February 25. Prior to the ceremony, the Prime Minister would be addressing a meeting of Ex-Serviceman at the National Stadium.

Promised in the National Democratic Alliance's 2014 election manifesto, the country's first war memorial near the India Gate complex will pay homage to over 26,000 soldiers who have sacrificed their lives since 1947.

In 2015, the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had approved the construction of a National War Memorial and a National War Museum at Princess Park, near India Gate. The cost of the project was estimated be around Rs. 500 crore and the total time for completion of the entire project was estimated to be five years.

However, on 15 August 2018, the first deadline for inauguration of the memorial was missed. The construction was completed on 1 January 2019.

Post-Independence, more than 22,500 soldiers have made the supreme sacrifice in national interests and in defence of the sovereignty and integrity of the country.

However, even after 69 years of Independence, no memorial to commemorate the martyrs has been constructed till date. With this memorial a long pending demand of the Armed Forces has been redressed.