A largely peaceful day was marred by a small explosion in Murugav village in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district.
Tight security in Mumbai, renewed target of terror attacks, marked Independence Day celebrations in the metropolis Monday. There was similar high-profile vigil in other parts of Maharashtra.
A largely peaceful day was marred by a small explosion in Murugav village in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district, in which a local youth sustained minor injuries, Anti-Naxalite Operations chief Rahul Sheth said. But he saw no terrorism angle in it.
The main state function was held not in Mumbai, but in Pune, where Governor K Sankaranarayanan unfurled the national flag before a huge gathering at the local Raj Bhavan.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan unfurled the tricolour at the state Congress headquarters in Dadar in central Mumbai. In his address, he reiterated his government's commitment to protecting the country's financial capital and the state from terror attacks.
Home Minister RR Patil presided over an I-Day function in the Gadchiroli district, which borders Andhra Pradesh to the east of Maharashtra. He is the guardian minister of the district in which Maoist activity is rife.
Mumbai Mayor Shraddha Jadhav hoisted the national flag at the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai headquarters, opposite the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, where at least 58 people were gunned down in the 26/11 terror attacks.
Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) chief Kripashankar Singh hoisted the tricolour at the MRCC headquarters near Azad Maidan, where party activists pledged to safeguard the country's freedom and national integration.
Similar functions and competitions on patriotic themes were held in schools, colleges, institutes of higher education, government and private offices, housing complexes and social organizations all over Mumbai.
Elsewhere in the state, Independence Day functions were held at district and sub-district headquarters, in the presence of the local district collectors or district guardian ministers.
Mumbai and the state police had deployed tight security for the past three days to prevent untoward incidents.
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