77th I-Day: PM Modi, Vice Prez attend President's At Home

New Delhi, Aug 15: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday hosted an At-Home reception on the occasion of 77th Independence Day at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar, his spouse Sudesh Dhankar, former President Ramnath Kovind and his spouse Savita Kovind attended the reception along with many other dignitaries.

Earlier today, President Murmu laid a wreath and paid tributes at the National War Memorial in the national capital on the occasion of 77th Independence Day.

In her address to the nation on the eve of the 77th Independence Day, President Murmu on Monday said that “each one of us is an equal citizen, and each one of us has an equal opportunity, equal rights and equal duties in this land.”

The President asserted that there is one identity above all– that is everyone is a citizen of India.

In her address to the nation, President Murmu said, “My heartiest greetings to all of you on our 77th Independence Day! It is a glorious and auspicious occasion for all of us. I am overjoyed to see that festivity is in the air. It is a matter of delight as well as pride for us to see how everyone – children, youth and the elderly, in cities and villages, everywhere in India – is excited and preparing to celebrate this festival of our freedom. The people have been celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ with great enthusiasm.”

She said that the Independence Day celebrations remind her of her childhood days.

“We could not contain our excitement about participating in the Independence Day celebrations in our village school. When the tricolour was hoisted, we felt an electrifying energy pass through us. With our hearts full of patriotic pride, we saluted the national flag and sang the national anthem. Sweets were distributed and patriotic songs were sung, which kept playing in our minds for many days,” President Murmu said.

She added that she was fortunate in having an opportunity to relive these experiences when she became a school teacher.