Spectacular! Indian missions lit up in colours of National Flag - See pics

PM Modi on Tuesday reached out to strife-hit Kashmiris, saying abuses and bullets will not resolve their problems but embracing them will.

Pic courtesy: @MEAIndia

New Delhi: Patriotic fervour gripped the nation on the 71st Independence Day on Tuesday as people from across states and Union territories came together to celebrate the occasion.

The special day was also celebrated in Indian embassies around the world like Washington, Frankfurt, Turkey, Qatar, Kathmandu, Atlanta, Colombo and Yangon.

The official Twitter handle of Ministry of External Affairs posted the following pictures:

Adorned in Indian colours
Indian missions in Washington, Frankfurt,Turkey & Qatar lit up in the colors of Tiranga for IndependenceDayIndia pic.twitter.com/4DOi5xuh98 — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 15, 2017

India@70.
Pictures of India House in Kathmandu, Atlanta, Colombo & Yangon on pic.twitter.com/0muEeieb6P

— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) August 15, 2017

India shines at the midnight hour! @IndianEmbassyUS lit up to celebrate #IndependenceDay EAM @SushmaSwaraj pic.twitter.com/KehFCgEeNr — India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) August 15, 2017

From Red Fort to @IndianEmbassyUS fluttering proudly! IndiaAt70 IndianIndependenceDay EAM @SushmaSwaraj pic.twitter.com/UdqlkuPzK7 — India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) August 15, 2017

Indian High Commission lit up in Pakistan on #IndependenceDayIndia pic.twitter.com/Hl0RwQeG6n — India in Pakistan (@IndiainPakistan) August 15, 2017

Meanwhile, as chief ministers hoisted the tricolour amid tight security in the country, they announced development programmes, flagged challenges confronting them and pledged to take their states forward.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reached out to strife-hit Kashmiris, saying abuses and bullets will not resolve their problems but embracing them will, as he praised his government's economic reforms in a wide-ranging Independence Day speech.

In a 56-minute speech, the shortest of the four times he has addressed the nation, he also rebuked those who resort to violence in the name of religion, adding that casteism and communalism are like poison.

Wearing his trademark half-sleeves kurta, churidar pajama and a Rajasthani headgear, PM Modi spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort to thousands of spectators including schoolchildren dressed like Lord Krishna, as well as crores of television audience watching the live telecast of his speech across the nation.

But most of his speech was devoted to the economy as he pointed out the various reforms carried out by his government, including demonetisation, the implementation of GST and the crackdown on black money.

Referring to recent incidents of natural calamities in various parts of the country as also death of children at a state-run hospital in Uttar Pradesh, he said sympathies of the entire nation are with the affected families.

(With PTI inputs)