By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : The 62nd Independence day celebrations on Friday marked by patriotic fervour passed of peacefully across the country barring bomb blasts triggered by ULFA militants in Assam injuring two persons, as security was at its peak with the national capital turned into a fortress.
The celebrations in a tense Srinagar was subdued but no incident was reported while there was no let up in protests after four days of violence left 22 persons dead in Kashmir valley.
Separatists had given a call for a total strike. Tragedy struck the celebrations in Karnataka when a eight-year-old girl died of cardiac complications at a government primary school in Chikkerura village in Haveri.
Akshata, standing in a school parade, collapsed when the national flag was being hoisted in the school premises, Haveri police told PTI by telephone.
The occasion gave an opportunity for some governments to announce new schemes and for political leaders to reflect on problems like terrorism, Maoists menace and inflation.
Farmers in Chhattisgarh received a bonanza as the government announced agricultural loans at an interest rate of three per cent, the lowest in the country.
Tens of thousands of security personnel kept a tight vigil at important installations, places of worship, railway stations and airports in the wake of intelligence “inputs” of possible terror attacks during the celebrations.
The country’s Capital was sealed with security forces setting up sandbag defences at key intersections and a two-hour no-fly zone was in place to ward of any aerial threats to the celebrations. New Delhi’s borders even remained sealed during the time of the event.
Official sources in Guwahati said one time bomb exploded near the block development office flag hoisting ground at Dharamshala, under Dhubri police station a few minutes before start of the official celebrations. Two persons were injured.