Scaled down I-Day celebrations with socially-distanced audience at Red Fort; states unfurl Tricolour to mark occasion
India on Saturday celebrated its 74th Independence Day in a subdued manner due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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India on Saturday celebrated its 74th Independence Day, however, the celebrations remained subdued due to the coronavirus pandemic. AFP
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At the Red Fort in Delhi, the annual grand event was scaled down, with a limited number of guests in attendance and social distancing measures in place. Guests donning masks underwent thermal screening at the entrance, while hands-free sanitiser dispensers were kept near the security gates. AP
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Sporting a saffron and cream headgear, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the National Flag with the assistance of Major Shweta Pandey. Modi delivered his seventh consecutive speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. AFP
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In his 86-minute long speech, the prime minister delivered a strong message to China and Pakistan against challenging India’s sovereignty and emphasised on making the country self-reliant. He also announced several initiatives like the national digital health mission and mass production of COVID-19 vaccine once it is approved by scientists. AP
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President Ram Nath Kovind paid tribute to the soldiers who have laid down their lives for the country at the National War Memorial near India Gate in Delhi. Image Credits: Twitter @Rashtrapatibhvn
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Celebrations were held amid strict security measures in Jammu and Kashmir. Mobile services were snapped in the Valley and later restored after the conclusion of the official functions at the at Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium in Srinagar. AP
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Jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) hoisted the tricolour in Ladakh at a height of 16,000 feet. They also hoisted the National Flag along the Pangong Tso lake— near the site at the centre of a territorial dispute between India and China. ANI
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Celebrations were also held in different states. In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hoisted the tri-colour in Kolkata and said that India would triumph over the COVID-19 crisis as it had overcome other challenges. In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remembered Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence. AP
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