R-Day celebrations colourful despite pandemic fears

Citizens put aside pandemic fears to witness a colourful 72nd Republic Day celebrations on Tuesday.

While the main event at the Field Marshal Manekshaw parade ground was confined to the hoisting of the tricolour, celebrations were also seen in government establishments, universities, colleges, and other organisations.

Since the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) banned entry to the parade ground, people held a rally on motorbikes and auto-rickshaws waving the tricolour and distributing sweets.

Political parties kept their Republic Day events on their premises simple.

While Rajya Sabha member K C Ramamurthy and RR Nagar MLA Munirathna hoisted the national flag at the BJP office in Malleswaram, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda raised the tricolour at JD(S) office in Gandhinagar.

State Congress president D K Shivakumar, Rajya Sabha member Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah were present during the event held at the Congress Bhavan on Race Course Road.