âFreedom fighters' dreams continue to inspire usâ: PM Modi, Amit Shah, Kharge, Rajnath Singh mark 80th Independence Day
TOI News Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Aug 15, 2026, 08:09 IST
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File photo: PM Modi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers and opposition leaders on Saturday extended Independence Day greetings to citizens as India marked its 80th Independence Day, with leaders remembering the freedom struggle while highlighting their visions for the country's future.Mallikarjun Kharge, meanwhile, said constitutional values, democratic institutions and social harmony had faced "serious challenges" over the past decade.
PM Modi remembers freedom fighters, calls for faster progress
PM Modi added that India, "powered by 140 crore Indians", was scaling new heights of progress and expressed hope that the country's growth journey would accelerate further.
Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh pay tribute to freedom fighters
He said the country should use the occasion to resolve to accelerate the creation of a "developed, prosperous, and self-reliant India".
He called for a collective resolve to build a secure, strong, prosperous, self-reliant and developed India, while preserving its heritage and pursuing modernity, progress and innovation.
He called for building a prosperous, capable and inclusive India while preserving constitutional values.
The messages came as India marked 79 years since gaining independence from British rule in 1947, with political leaders across the spectrum remembering the freedom struggle while setting out differing visions for the country's future.
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