Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur on Friday separately celebrated their 51st Statehood Day by holding numerous colourful cultural programmes and other functions.
In the poll-bound Tripura and Meghalaya, the Statehood Day functions were low key and the ministers and politicians did not attend the celebrations due to the model code of conduct.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP President J.P. Nadda and several Union ministers and Chief Ministers of the neighbouring northeastern states greeted the people of the three states on the occasion.
Congratulating the people of the three states, the Prime Minister, in separate tweets, said: "On their Statehood Day, best wishes to the people of Tripura. The last 5 years have been remarkable for Tripura's growth trajectory. From agriculture to industry, education to health, the state has seen great transformation. May this trend continue in the coming times."
"Greetings to the people of Meghalaya on their Statehood Day. This state is known for its vibrant culture, particularly music, art and passion towards sports. People from Meghalaya have excelled in diverse fields. I pray for Meghalaya's continuous progress in the years to come," Modi said.
In another tweet, the PM said: "Statehood Day greetings to the people of Manipur. The state has been progressing on several counts during the last few years. I pray that the aspirations of the people of this state are fulfilled and Manipur keeps strengthening India's growth trajectory."
In Tripura, the Day's main function was held in Agartala in which Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Director General of Police Amitabh Ranjan, Vice-Chancellor of Maharaja Bir Bikram University Satadeo Poddar among others participated in the celebration organised by the Information and Cultural Affairs department at the Rabindra Satabarshiki Bhavan.
In Meghalaya, state governor B.D. Mishra handed over the Meghalaya Day excellence awards on the occasion at a function at U. Soso Tham auditorium in Shillong.
A glittering cultural programme was organised by the Department of Art and Culture in the city on the occasion of the 51st Meghalaya Day.
In Manipur, the main function of the Statehood Day was held at the 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles Parade Ground in Imphal.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said that the state has been able to attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.
He informed that many visitors had acknowledged the progress and development of the State.
Singh said that the state will be holding events in connection with G20 and the Grand Finale of Femina Miss India this year.
He said that his government aims to bring governance and development in far-flung rural and hill areas to redress their grievances and provide services to the people at their doorsteps.
Raising concern about large-scale deforestation, the Chief Minister informed that a mass tree plantation campaign would be organised from March to July this year.
The erstwhile princely states of Tripura and Manipur were merged into the Indian Union in October 1949 and became full-fledged states on January 21, 1972. Meghalaya was part of Assam before becoming a full-fledged state on the same day.
All the three northeastern states became full-fledged states under the North Eastern Region (Re-Organisation) Act, 1971.
All the three northeastern states have taken a series of programmes to celebrate the day and announced a slew of welfare programmes and various plans to develop these states in future.
Manipur Police arrest 11 militants, recover large cache of arms, ammunition
The Manipur Police arrested 11 militants belonging to various banned outfits and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition during the past 24 hours, officials said here on Friday.
PM Modi unveils 21-point action plan at 6th BIMSTEC Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday presented a comprehensive 21-point action plan during the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok, laying out an ambitious road map for cooperation across diverse sectors.
ED raids multiple premises of 'Empuraan' producer Gokulam Gopalan
Amid the controversy surrounding Malayalam film ‘Empuraan’ starring superstar Mohanlal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple premises linked to film’s producer Gokulam Gopalan.
SC declines PIL seeking restriction of social media platforms for kids below 13 years
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking urgent judicial intervention to regulate access to social media platforms for children below 13 years of age.
BIMSTEC Summit: PM Modi, Yunus meet amid strained ties
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Muhammad Yunus, Chief Advisor of Bangladeshi interim government, on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok.
Rupee strengthens against dollar amid Trump's reciprocal tariffs
The Indian rupee witnessed sharp gains on Friday at below 85 against dollar, as the dollar index and oil prices dropped sharply amid concerns over recession in the US economy after the reciprocal tariffs were announced.
Quad to send $20 million relief support to earthquake-ravaged Myanmar
Quad members Australia, India, Japan, and the United States on Friday collectively committed over $20 million in humanitarian assistance to support the relief efforts for the earthquake-devastated Myanmar.
'Waqf Bill will benefit Muslims, no threat to religious sites,' says Shahabuddin Razvi
Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, the National President of All India Muslim Jamaat, expressed his support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, stating that it would significantly benefit Muslims and ensure the betterment of their socio-economic conditions.