France’s Macron to attend India’s Republic Day parade

French President Emmanuel Macron will be the guest of honour at India’s Republic Day parade in January, New Delhi announced Friday, days after US President Joe Biden backed out.

Macron “will be visiting India as the chief guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations” on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation, India’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

Biden’s rebuff of India’s invitation to attend the annual parade, which marks the adoption of India’s post-independence constitution, came after diplomatic ructions over an alleged Indian plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the United States.

The US Justice Department last month charged an Indian citizen with plotting the assassination, alleging an Indian government official was also involved in the planning.

In his first comments on the issue, Modi told the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday that his government would investigate any evidence provided by Washington regarding the alleged plot.

“If someone gives us any information, we would definitely look into it,” Modi said.

“If a citizen of ours has done anything good or bad, we are ready to look into it. Our commitment is to the rule of law.”

New Delhi and Washington are close allies, and together with Australia and Japan form the Quad, a strategic partnership seen as endeavouring to counter China’s regional influence.

India also shares close ties with France, which has been a key supplier of its armed forces.

The Republic Day parade is a highly choreographed cultural and military spectacle of tanks, fighter jets, motorbike stunts, and traditional dances from different parts of the country.

Modi was Macron’s guest of honour at France’s annual Bastille Day celebrations in July.