Independence Day: Key takeaways from PM Modi's speech

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised healthcare workers and scientists for helping India fight Covid-19 as the country celebrated 75 years of independence.

Mr Modi also paid tributes to those who died of the virus, saying "the pain of losing them will stay with us forever".

He added that the country fought the virus "with extraordinary pace".

But his government faced criticism when India's second Covid wave ravaged many towns and cities in April and May.

The second wave left millions of people infected and overwhelmed the country's fragile healthcare system to the point of collapse.

People died gasping for breath as hospitals ran out of beds and oxygen - leaving distraught family members pleading for help on social media. Even crematoriums in some cities ran out of space.