Fact Check: No, Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi is not to be chief guest at Republic Day Parade

Posted by: Arun Nag January 23, 2021

Ever since Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson, owing to new surge in Covid-19 pandemic in his country, cancelled his visit to India to attend the Indian Republic Day parade as Chief Guest this year, the major question remained among many as to who would be invited in such a short notice.

Taking advantage of the void, many media organisations have published unverified news reports claiming that President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, is going to be the chief guest of Republic Day parade, to be held on January 26, 2021.

One such first news report appeared in News18 on Jan. 10, 2021 and later picked by Times Now on January 11, 2021. Soon the claim has been shared on twitter here and here as seen below:

FACT CHECK

When checked the statements of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, no such statement has been found. Instead, soon after Boris Johnson’s cancellation of his visit, the MEA said that there will be no chief guest this year, as per the news agency PTI’s report.

Due to global COVID-19 situation, it was decided not to have a foreign head of state or head of government as R-Day chief guest: MEA

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 14, 2021

On January 14, MEA said that there would be no foreign head of state or government. “Due to global COVID-19 situation, it was decided not to have a foreign head of state or head of government as R-Day chief guest,” the statement said.

This is not the first time that India will have no foreign chief guest for the Republic Day. In 1952, 1953 and 1966, the parade was held without a foreign chief guest present.

Claim:

President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi is going to be the chief guest of Republic Day parade, to be held on January 26, 2021 since UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled his visit.

Conclusion: Totally False as there is no such announcement made by the Ministry of External affairs and refuted later.

Our rating of the claim is Totally False —