Vande Mataram sung at Red Fort for first time on I-Day

For the first time since Independence, Vande Mataram was sung from the ramparts of the Red Fort during the 78th Independence Day celebrations. The rendition marked 150 years of the national song. Around 2,500 NCC cadets and MY Bharat volunteers formed the words 'Vande Mataram' at the venue, while 5,000 achievers and grassroots workers attended as special guests.

Home minister Amit Shah called the moment 'historic' and said it gave him 'goosebumps' and filled him with 'sheer ecstasy'. He praised Prime Minister Modi's address for emphasising Swadeshi, prosperity and self-reliance. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said at a separate event in Nagpur that democracy allows for dissent but such expression must not harm the Constitution or the country's social and cultural fabric.

The event also included a sporting milestone, as the Indian cricket team hoisted the Tricolour in Galle, Sri Lanka, before their historic 600th Test match.