Akhilesh Yadav celebrates Rakshabandan

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said Rakshabandhan is a festival unique to India where the brother-sister relationshp is celebrated. Addressing a programme here, the Chief Minister said this festival was part of an old tradition of the country where a sister ties rakhi on the hand of her brother who resolves to protect her.

Marking the occassion, girls of different conmunities tied rakhis on the hands of the Chief Minister and other boys. The programme was organised by officiating chairman of UP Bhasha Sansthan and prominent poet Gopaldas Neeraj.

Appreciating the initiative by Neeraj, Akhilesh said such efforts should be made by intellectuals, writers and others.

Earlier, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, and remembered how the Father of the nation had infused fresh energy into the freedom struggle with the Quit India movement launched on August 9, 1942.

Akhilesh emphasised the need for maintaining the spirit of harmony and brotherhood vested in the constitution and also requested the media to bring forward people uniting society.