NEW DELHI: A full dress rehearsal of the 74th Independence Day celebrations was held at the Red Fort here on Thursday.
Personnel from the Army, Navy and Air Force marched across the Mughal-era structure.
The rehearsal was held from 7 am to 9 am, police said.
"The reporting time for the security personnel was 3 am. At 7.18 am, the prime minister's carcade reaches the Red Fort.
The rehearsal was successfully concluded around 9 am," Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Monika Bhardwaj said.
However, the prime minister's carcade reached the venue late, a senior police officer said.
The security arrangements were stringent and there were traffic restrictions during the rehearsal.
The Red Fort has already been closed for the public ahead of the Independence Day celebrations on August 15.
The Delhi Police had issued a traffic advisory ahead of the Independence Day function and the dress rehearsal to ensure a safe and smooth vehicular movement across the national capital.
The traffic restrictions around the Red Fort for the dress rehearsal will remain same for the Independence Day programme.
Earlier, the Delhi Police had advised the invitees at the function to refrain from attending it if they experienced any COVID-19 symptom in the last two weeks and did not go for a test.
The police had also requested the invitees to follow the COVID-related guidelines issued by the home and health ministries during the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.
Around 4,000 security personnel will be deployed at the Red Fort on the occasion and they will maintain social distancing, the police had said.
Over 350 Delhi Police personnel, who will be part of the guard of honour, have been quarantined as a precautionary measure.
The event at the Red Fort shall consist of a guard of honour by the armed forces and the Delhi Police to the prime minister, unfurling of the national flag and firing of the 21-gun salute, the prime minister's address, singing of the national anthem immediately after his speech and release of tricoloured balloons.
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