Highlights: Our resolve is to turn 'Swaraj' into 'Su-Raj', says PM Modi on 70th Independence Day

Thousands of armed security personnel on Monday kept a hawk-eyed vigil over the capital,e specially around the Red Fort and surrounding areas. Amid tight security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag and delivered his Independence Day address to the nation at Red Fort.

Here are the highlights from PM Narendra Modi's speech:

9:05am
#We did not get an opportunity to die for the country but we have the opportunity to live for the country

9:04am
#There can't b a bigger freedom than freedom frm poverty.Invite all SAARC countries to work together to fight this

9:03am
#To the youth who have taken up gun, I urge them to return to their parents, shun violence
9:02am

#This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists

9:01
#This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists

9:00am
#People of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them

8:59am
#Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack, but there were tears in everyone's eyes in Parliament here

8:50
#This country will never bend before terrorism

8:48am
#'Unity in Diversity' is the whole essence of Indian culture. There is no place for violence and atrocities here

8:47am
#Therefore my Govt tried to resolve the long standing issue of OROP

8:46am
#More than 35000 jawans have lost their lives fighting at border so that we can stay peacefully here, how can we forget them?

8:45am
#We fulfilled the promise of 'One Rank One Pension'

8:44am
#Only financial growth is not important, social unity is also important. 125 cr people of India are part of one family

8:43am
#Yes there are problems, but we have to rise above and fight such anti-social elements. Only then we'll be able to progress in real sense

8:42am
#Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar ji have always stressed on the need for social unity

8:41am
#We have worked to achieve 'One nation, one grid and one price'

8:40am
#GST is one such tax reform which will help us bring in financial stability: PM at Red Fort 

8:39am
#GST will give strength to our economy & all parties are to be thanked for its passage

8:37am
#Financial independence of women and her participation is important to fight poverty

8:36am
#Amidst global economic slow-down, Indian economy is growing

8:35am
#For us, image of the nation is more important than the image of the Government

8:34am
#We all know about coal scam. However, we auctioned coal online, without any corruption charges levelled against us due to transparency

8:30am
#We have connected Aadhar card to Govt schemes to curb corruption: PM Modi

8:25am
#We are trying to revive 'post-offices' in the country which is becoming irrelevant increasingly due to advent of technology

8:24am
#Out Govt is giving importance to 'last man delivery' by taking decisions decisively as our policies and intentions are clear

8:23am
#But we did not let this happen, we have taken forward the good initiatives taken by the previous Govt

8:22am
#When new Govt is elected, many-a-times, good initiatives taken by the previous Govt are forgotten

8:21am
#We are giving imp to Integrated development against Isolated development, empowerment against entitlement

8:20am
#We have been blessed with monsoon, this year. Sowing has therefore increased, this will help us meet demand shortfall

8:19am
#I will continue to strive hard to ensure that the this inflation doesn't affect the food plate of poor

8:18am
#That's why my Govt has given importance to save water. We have given impetus to 'per drop, more crop' initiative

8:17am
#Reform, transform, perform. Mantra of this governance

8:16am
#My target is to double the income of farmers by 2022

8:15am
#If farmers in my country get adequate water, they can turn 'soil' into 'gold'

8:11am
#Under the previous Govt, inflation had crossed 10%. We did not let it rise above 6%

8:10am
#From Delhi it takes 3 hours to reach nagla fatela village in Hathras, it took 70 years for electricity to reach there

8:08am
#Due to drought situation in the last 2 years, Govt has faced challenges in terms of price rise

8:07
#We can contribute a lot to curb global warming by using IED bulbs and saving energy

8:06am
#Humne 21 crore logon ko jandhan se jod kar asambhav ko sambhav kiya hai

8:05am
#We are working to bring in social change, over 70,000 villages are free from open-defecation, today

8:02am
#We have connected 70 crore Indians to Aadhaar and social security schemes

8:01am
#In last 60 years, 14 crore were given gas connections, while my Govt provided gas connections to over 4 crore people in just 60 weeks 

7:59
#Hamein apne kaam ki raftaar ko tez karna hoga, gati ko aur aage badhaana hoga

7:54
#We have changed this. Now one can avail passport in a week, have eased processes

7:53am

#There was a time when getting a passport was a tedious process and needed strong references

7:52am
#There was a time when Govt was surrounded by allegations but now the Govt is surrounded by expectations

7:51am
#I want to change the lives of common people, I am committed to it

7:50am
#Our history spans from Bheem to Bhimrao

7:49am
#People are scared of income tax authorities, particularly middle class families, we have to change this situation & I'll change it

7:48am
#Today, in all the major Govt hospitals, online registration is available and medical records are also available online

7:47am
#For this, one needs to give imp to good governance, accountability and transparency in any Govt is paramount

7:46am
#'Surajya' means a Govt should be sensitive towards the common man, weaker sections: PM Modi 

7:45am
#Today, more than 'Karya', I want to talk about 'Karya Sanskriti' of the Government: PM Modi

7:44am
#It is easy to keep account of the work done by the Govt, but it is difficult to have in-depth knowledge of those initiatives

7:43am
#Panchayat se Parliament aur gram pradhan se lekar PM tak,sabko apni zimmedari samajhne ki zarurat hai

7:42am
#India faces a lot of challenges,today but I believe that 125 cr ppl of India have the ability to face and overcome these challenges

7:41am
#The onus is on 125 cr ppl of India to convert this 'Swaraj' into 'Surajya'-PM Modi at Red Fort

7:40am#Ek bharat,shresht bharat ka sapna poora karenge

7:34am
#India's age is not 70 years,but the journey post colonial rule for a better India is 70-year old

7:33am
#We remember Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, many others who sacrificed their lives so that we attained Swarajya

7:32am
#Today on the 70th Independence Day, I convey my greetings to 125 crore Indians & the Indian community living overseas

7:30am
#70th Independence Day: PM Narendra Modi hoists tricolour at Red Fort in Delhi

7:20am
#Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the guard of honour at Red Fort

7:15am
#Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajghat, pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi

6:50am
# LG Najeeb Jung, Amit Shah, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader GN Azad arrive at the Red Fort, PM to speak shortly

6:30am
# HM Rajnath Singh unfurls the tricolour at his residence.

6:00am
स्वतंत्रता दिवस की शुभकामनाएं। जय हिंद।Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind! #IndiaIndependenceDay

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2016

5:30am
# On the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the multi-layered security arrangements in Delhi and the rest of the country.

Red Fort and its adjoining areas have been put under an unprecedented air-to-ground security cover.

Thousands of security personnel have been deployed to ensure foolproof security in and around the historic Mughal fort which will see the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people.

A multi-layer security has also been thrown around Rajpath where a seven-day-long cultural festival 'Bharat Parv' is underway.

(with agency inputs)