Here are some glimpses of the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort.
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Also Read: Top 20 quotes from PM's Red Fort speech
Before addressing the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the guard of honour contingent which consisted of one officer and 24 men each from Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. The Army contingent for the Guard is drawn from the 8th Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (Siachen). The battalion was raised as the First Battalion Border Scouts by volunteers who took up arms in the aftermath of partition to check the multitude of Kabailies intruding into Poonch on December 18, 1947. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
The unfurling of the tricolour was synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the valiant gunners of the elite 2281 Field Regiment (Ceremonial). The Air Force Band played National Anthem when the National Guard presented "Rashtriya Salute". The Army Contingent for the National Flag Guard is drawn from 11th Battalion of the Jat Regiment. This is a 52-year-old battalion with a gallant past. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
People from all walks of life had queued up to participate in the event as early as 5:00 am. Around 10,000 seats were set aside for general public at the venue and they were filled by 7:00 AM. Security personnel had a tough time managing an enthusiastic crowd. According to the police, about 40,000 people attended the function. There were seating arrangements for 22,000 people, including 2000 VVIPs and VIPs, 9000 for school children and 10,000 for the general public. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
For the third year in a row, Prime Minister Modi chose to deliver his Independence Day address from an open air podium instead of from behind a bullet proof glass. Overruling strong objections from his security detail, Modi had shunned the bullet-proof enclosure to "connect directly" with people during his maiden Independence Day speech as PM from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort in 2014. He had decided to opt out of the enclosure last year as well. Photograph: Press Information Bureau
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made 2 major announcements in his speech: a 20 per cent hike in the pension for freedom fighters and that medical expenses of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families will be borne by the government. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
Like the previous year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not disappoint children who were waiting to greet him. As he got down from the ramparts of the 17th century monument on conclusion of his address and left at around 9:13 am, Modi halted his motorcade after it covered only a few metres to reach an enclosure from where children cheered him on. Modi greeted and shook hands with them, breaking away from the close security cover. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with wife Gursharan Kaur, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, were some of the VVIPs present for the event. The shutterbugs also spotted Kejriwal with his eyes closed during the Prime Minister's address. Photograph: Twitter/rajsan2016
