I-Day: No untoward incident reported in UP
While street urchins did a brisk business in the sale of hand-made flags, all school students took out parades.
Contrary to widespread apprehensions about possible terror strikes in some parts of the state, the Independence Day celebrations passed off peacefully in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday.
"It has been an incident-free Independence Day," Principal Home Secretary Satish Kumar Agarwal said.
"There was no report of any untoward incident from any corner of the state so far; still we were maintaining a close vigil on all vital installations, important religious institutions and public places."
Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav unfurled the national flag outside the state assembly building in Lucknow.
He stressed on the need for promotion of Hindi as the country's national language. He lamented that even after 59 years of independence, Hindi was still struggling to be truly recognised as the national language.
The Chief Minister also took the opportunity to highlight his own government's achievements, laying much emphasis on the unemployment dole recently started by him in a big way.
Under the scheme, unemployed graduates registered with various employment exchanges in the state were now entitled to a monthly unemployment dole of Rs 500.
The national flag was also hoisted at various other government offices that were beautifully illuminated and decorated.
All major educational institutions observed the Independence Day with students taking out impressive parades. Street urchins were seen doing brisk business selling tiny hand-made flags around traffic lights in different parts of the town.
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