MOSCOW: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the premises of Indian embassy here on Tuesday.
Singh on Monday left for a three-day visit to Russia to attend a grand military parade in Moscow to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in World War II and hold talks with the top Russian military brass. "Visited the Indian Embassy in Moscow today and paid my humble tributes to Mahatma Gandhi by laying a wreath at his statue," Singh tweeted on Tuesday.
Pictures showed Singh wearing a face mask and placing a wreath at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. A tri-service 75-member Indian military contingent has already reached Moscow to participate in the parade. The Indian team will participate in the parade alongside armed forces personnel from at least 11 countries, including China.
It is the first visit abroad by a senior union minister in four months as foreign travels were restricted in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Singh travelled by an Indian Air Force aircraft, while strictly following all laid precautions against the coronavirus infection, the officials said.
To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, a Russian military parade postponed by the coronavirus pandemic will be held on June 24 at Red Square. The Victory Day parade normally is held on May 9, the nation's most important secular holiday.