77th Republic Day: From Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala, a splash of celebrations

Speaking at the M A Stadium in Jammu, L-G Manoj Sinha said that “decades of suppressed pain and tears are finally receiving dignity and justice”, assuring people that “every case linked to terrorism will be thoroughly examined, fresh investigations will be conducted, and the guilty will face the strictest punishment”.

He described Operation Sindoor as a “defining moment in India’s national security doctrine” that “any terrorist attack on its soil would be treated as an act of war”.

“Operation Sindoor was not merely a military action; it was a declaration of India’s strategic resolve,” he said, adding that “we struck at the heart of the enemy, dismantled their terror infrastructure, exposed the hollowness of nuclear threats, and reaffirmed our unwavering commitment to protecting national sovereignty”.

Bhalla said, “… let us resolve to uphold the ideals of our constitution, strengthen peace and harmony, and work with dedication towards inclusive development and social justice.” The state has been under the President’s Rule since February last year.

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot said disbursals under the five guarantee schemes, which have brought significant changes in the lives of women apart from increasing the purchasing power of families, have exceeded Rs 1.13 lakh crore.

Emphasising on “many-ness”, CM Stalin said, “We must remain a country where cultures enrich one another, languages coexist with pride and faith is a personal truth. Our strength has never been sameness. It has always been our many-ness. When diversity is protected, belonging feels natural.”

Taking a veiled dig at the Centre, Stalin in his message said, “Let’s celebrate a unified India. Not a uniform India.”

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in a Facebook post called for vigilance against forces attempting to weaken the vision of “unity in diversity” and impose a monolithic ideology.

“The federal concept of a strong Centre with empowered states is facing serious challenges. We should stand together against policies that aim to weaken federalism by curtailing the financial powers of states and turning constitutional institutions into political tools,” he said.

CM Adityanath said, “The real guardian of the Constitution is India’s citizens.”

“Whenever the basic spirit of the Constitution is disrespected, it is not just an insult to the Constitution but also to those great personalities whose sacrifices ensured the country’s freedom,” Adityanath said.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the time has come for people to think and make a choice whether they want “vote bank politics” or take forward the development journey launched by his government during the last five years.

He said that people must decide whether they want to “surrender to Bangladeshi Muslims” or be part of progress and development. “We have decided not to surrender to the Bangladeshi Muslims who have encroached upon huge areas of land and threatened our identity, culture and traditions. We have started the process of reclaiming our land by evicting the encroachers,” he said.

Sarma said his government was committed to protect people’s ‘maati’ (land), ‘bheti’ (foundation), ‘sanskriti’ (culture) and ‘parichay’ (identity) to protect and secure the rights of the future generation.—PTI