August 15 to be celebrated in Anand, Cong cries foul

Continuing with its new precedent of celebrating national festivals in district headquarters other than state capital Gandhinagar, Gujarat government is gearing up to celebrate 58th Independence Day in Anand

Continuing with its new precedent of celebrating national festivals in district headquarters other than state capital Gandhinagar, Gujarat government is gearing up to celebrate 58th Independence Day in Anand district town, about 70 kms from Ahmedabad.

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"The cultural programmes will begin from August 13 itself and continue till night of August 15. Chief Minister Narendra Modi would participate in Independence Day eve functions on August 14 and hoist tricolour at 9 am next day", state government spokesman and Health Minister IK Jadeja told reporters.

Aiming for large scale people's participation in national festivals, Modi decided to shift from conventional venue of Gandhinagar by celebrating 57th Independence Day in Patan town last year and Republic Day this year in Jamnagar.

The main Opposition party Congress has, however, said that `it was not interested' in attending this function at Anand `even if invited' as "such extravaganza is being held when thousands still continued to suffer the trauma of floods".

"We have not received any official invitation as yet. But we are not interested in attending the Anand function, which is nothing but a mere publicity stunt by Modi", chief whip of Congress in state assembly Arjun Modhvadia said.

"Indulging in such a prodigy at a time when 200 people have died in floods is condemnable. Independence Day should have been a low-key affair this year", Modvadia said adding, "Congressmen are least interested in attending functions where Modi is nothing but eulogised".