Republic Day Protocol: Call for Punjab, Haryana CMs to attend Governor-led State functions
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, January 21, 2026: Advocate Hemant Kumar, practicing at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has urged the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana to participate in their respective State Governors’ State-Level Republic Day functions on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day (January 26, 2026), instead of unfurling the National Flag at separate district-level venues.
Highlighting constitutional protocol and long-established conventions, Hemant Kumar pointed out that in several states across the country—including Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh—the Chief Minister attends the Governor-led State-Level Republic Day समारोह, where the Governor unfurls the Tricolour.
He further noted that even in the national capital, it is the President of India, the constitutional head of the state, and not the Prime Minister, who unfurls the National Flag at Kartavya Path, underscoring the symbolic importance of Republic Day as the day marking the commencement of the Constitution of India.
This year in Punjab, the State-Level Republic Day function will be held at Fazilka, where Governor Gulab Chand Kataria will unfurl the National Flag. However, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is scheduled to unfurl the Tricolour separately at Hoshiarpur district headquarters.
Similarly, in Haryana, Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh will unfurl the National Flag at the State-Level function in Panchkula, while Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini is scheduled to unfurl the Tricolour at Gurugram.
In contrast, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will attend the State-Level Republic Day function at the historic Ridge in Shimla, where Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla will unfurl the National Flag, adhering to the traditional constitutional practice.
Advocate Hemant Kumar emphasized that Republic Day, unlike Independence Day, holds distinct constitutional significance and should be led by the constitutional head—the President at the Centre and Governors in the States.
He explained that until 1974, Governors alone unfurled the National Flag on both Independence Day and Republic Day. Following a request by then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Centre decided that Chief Ministers would hoist the Tricolour on Independence Day, while Governors would unfurl it on Republic Day.
However, he described it as “ironic” that this protocol is not uniformly followed across all states, including Punjab and Haryana.
Recalling past practice, Hemant Kumar noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat (2001–2014), consistently attended the Governor-led State-Level Republic Day functions, where the Governor unfurled the National Flag and the Chief Minister stood alongside in an escorting role.
The advocate has publicly appealed to the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana to follow this constitutional convention by refraining from unfurling the National Flag at Hoshiarpur and Gurugram, respectively, and instead attend and participate in their respective State Governors’ Republic Day functions at Fazilka and Panchkula.