I-Day celebrations peaceful in Bengal

Kolkata, Aug 15 (UNI) Celebrating the 61st Independence day of the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya today unfurled the tricolour in front of the Writer's Buildings amidst tight security.

State governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi paid floral tributes to the statue of the Mahatma Gandhi.

There were no untoward incidents reported in the city, Inspector General of Police (law and order) Raj Kanojia said. The security was beefed up much ahead the I-Day with extra police force deployed at several places. Railway stations, Metro stations and bus terminuses were strictly monitored today in view of any anti-national trying to mar the spirit of the celebrations, he added.

National Flag was hoisted at all important government offices and at the NSCBI airport.

The Kolkata Port Trust Chairman Anup Kumar Chanda, paid tributes to the freedom fighters, unfuried the national flag and lauded the Central Industrial Security Force jawans for protecting the port.

''It is because of them, that we are able to protect the cargoes worth crores of rupees here. They are responsible in making the port the second major port in the country,'' he said.

India's 60th anniversary of freedom was celebrated with much pomp and fervour across the state, However, there were some stray reports of bomb scare in Howrah railway station which turned out to be a hoax.

Senior Railway Police officer Pradip Sanyal said the bomb disposal squad recovered a set of electronic speakers in a gunny bag from the Ganadevata Express today. Some people had mistaken them for explosives, he said.

A few locals at Nasra under Ranaghat police station in Nadia district put on a garland of shoes on a status of country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Sub-Divisonal Officer Seo Kumar Ram said three people had been arrested in this connection.

The three were reportedly instigated by a news run by a local channel which alleged that Nehru responsible for the ''disappance'' of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.

UNI