Public participation should be basis of celebrations for India's 75 years of independence: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the celebrations for India's 75 years of independence should reflect the spirit of the country's freedom movement and showcase its achievements to the world since 1947. Speaking after the first meeting of the 259-member high-level national committee headed by the prime minister to commemorate 75 years of India's independence, Modi said public participation should be the basis of the celebrations.

''It is an opportunity to showcase to the world our achievements since 1947. We need to tell people about the sacrifice of freedom movement heroes,'' he said after the virtual meeting.

The members of the committee include former president Pratibha Patil, Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, 28 chief ministers, artistes like Lata Mangeshkar, A R Rahman, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, senior BJP leader L K Advani, almost all Union ministers and several governors.

Opposition leaders like Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and former Uttar Pradesh chief ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati are also part of the panel.

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