By IRNA,
New Delhi : Delhi’s leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay passed off peacefully amid large scale protests by Tibetans exiled in India.
The torch relay started from the Rashtrapati Bhawan and concluded at National Stadium after passing through around three kilometers run amid tight security.
The relay began with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Suresh Kalmadi handing over the torch to prominent sports persons such as Anju Bobby George, Zafar Iqbal and Abhinav Bindra, from where it passed into the hands of Kunjurani Devi, Saif Ali Khan, Aslam Sher Khan and others.
The relay, comprising around 70 participants from all walks of life, saw the torch quickly changing hands as it made its way to the India Gate
Earlier, the Olympic relay in India embarked on its journey as the torch reached Rashtrapati Bhawan amid almost impregnable security measures.
This came in the wake of the situation reaching a boiling point in New Delhi on Thursday afternoon when three Tibetan protesters tried to storm the hotel where the torch was kept.
The protesters were immediately caught before they could enter the hotel.
The Beijing Olympic torch arrived from Islamabad early morning at the Delhi International Airport where the Army took its possession.
Thousands of police personnel guarded the ceremony at Rajpath after government slashed the planned route to ward off pro-Tibet demonstrations.