Gaiety, patriotic fervour mark I-Day in Karnataka

In the state capital, Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda unfurled the tricolour and inspected a guard of honour at the Field Marshal Manekshaw parade grounds in city centre under tight security.

About 8,000 people, including hundreds of youth sporting colourful dress, waving the national flag and singing patriotic songs, attended the function.

Attired in a half-sleeved white shirt and a cream-coloured trouser, Gowda went around the parade ground in an open jeep, greeting the people with folded hands and saluting the men and women in uniform on a bright sunny day interspersed with thin clouds.

Gowda, who became the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's second chief minister in the state Aug 4, also witnessed the impressive march past by 39 contingents of security forces and about 1,000 boys and girls from state-run and public schools across the city.

About 1,500 personnel, including some 100 senior officers, were deployed in and around the parade ground to provide security and prevent any untoward incident.

As part of security drill and enhance vigilance, CCTV cameras were installed at the venue to monitor the movement of people and regulate their entry and exit for the grand function.
In view of the security threat to the tech city and in line with the advice of the union home ministry after the July 13 Mumbai terror blasts, the police intensified checks at major public places such as the airport and railway stations, inter-city and inter-state bus terminals.