Chief Ministers, governors lead Independence Day celebrations in states

Chief ministers and governors hoisted the national flag at state-level events across the country on Wednesday, celebrating the achievements and shortcomings of the nation on its 72nd Independence Day.

In his speech at the Chhatrasal stadium, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "If good education is ensured for all the children in the country, poverty and unemployment can be removed within a generation." Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra delivered his address at the Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium in Srinagar and asserted that only dialogue and discussion could solve the problems faced by the state.

He appealed to the leaders of all the political parties in the state and those at the helm of social, cultural, religious organisations to ponder over what was gained from the endless turmoil, the continuing human and economic losses and the sufferings the people had been undergoing for decades.

Rajasthan will observe September as the "month of nutrition" to create awareness among the people, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said.

Addressing the state from the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur, Raje said, "We want Rajasthan to become a modern state and get recognition in the country and around the world for modern education, new vision and new technology." Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced a slew of incentives for the people of the state.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh unfurled the tricolour at a state-level function in Ludhiana.

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led the Independence Day celebrations in the state.

The governor unfurled the national flag in the presence of senior officials at the Raj Bhawan.

Aditynath, after unfurling the national flag, said the state was marching ahead on the path of development since last year, which was never seen before.

In an indirect reference to the Muzaffarpur shelter home sex scandal, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said his government was committed to bringing to justice those found guilty in some glaring incidents that had recently come to light.

He was speaking at the historic Gandhi Maidan in Patna. His deputy Sushil Kumar Modi and state Assembly speaker Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, among others, were present on the occasion.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unfurled the national flag and took salute from a Kolkata Police contingent during a guard of honour in Kolkata.
West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi called for building a vibrant and prosperous India.

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, in his maiden Independence Day address, assured the people of the state that he would strive to provide an "unbiased and corruption-free government".

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the launch of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), a universal health coverage scheme, in the state from today.

"Healthy Odisha - Happy Odisha. Let us continue with our endeavour to build a prosperous and strong state," he said while unfurling the national flag at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bhubaneswar.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das unfurled the tricolour at the Morahbadi ground in Ranchi.

Calling upon people to get rid of communalism, casteism, illiteracy, poverty and unemployment, Das said his government had a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the state had become a "role model" in dealing with rape cases of minors, adding that 10 accused in such offences were awarded the death sentence in the state.

The earth needed to be rid of such "demons", he said, after unfurling the national flag at the Motilal Nehru Stadium in Bhopal.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh urged the people to become part of the "Vision 2025" to make the state "smart, powerful and prosperous" by 2025, when it would celebrate the silver jubilee of its formation.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani expressed his government's resolve to rid the state of water scarcity in the next five years.

The Maharashtra government will push forward various welfare initiatives for farmers and the socially backward classes in the state, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Goa Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant unfurled the tricolour in Panaji in the absence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is in the US for a follow-up medical check-up post his treatment for a pancreatic ailment.

The Tamil Nadu government was committed to the all-round development of the state, in line with the policies of former chief minister late J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said.

He unfurled the tricolour at Fort St George in Chennai.

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said the territorial government had been implementing welfare programmes to benefit all sections, although it was "facing a challenge" in getting assistance from the Centre.

In Kerala, the Independence Day celebrations were a low-key affair in view of the floods that have claimed 47 lives in the state so far.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan unfurled the national flag at state capital Thiruvananthapuram and urged the people to assist in the relief-and-rescue operations.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government's aim was to catapult the state to among the top three states in the country by 2022 in terms of overall development.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao unfurled the national flag at the historic Golconda Fort in Hyderabad.