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NEW DELHI: The Olympic torch received a mixed welcome in New Delhi for its Indian leg of the relay on Thursday.
While Tibetan activists held a parallel march to protest against China's military crackdown in Tibet, well-known members of India's sports and film fraternities carried the torch during the run, near the Presidential Palace.
Dozens of sports persons, including Olympian Milkha Singh, Anju Bobby George, tennis ace Leander Paes and Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, participated in the relay.
Hundreds of security personnel flanked the torch bearers as they ran a distance of three kilometres with the torch.
The day was also marked by protests from the 100,000-strong Tibetan exiles living in India.
In the city of Varanasi, in central Uttar Pradesh state, 49 Tibetan protesters took to the streets on bicycles, shouting anti-China slogans.
In Mumbai, Tibetan exiles attempted to storm the Chinese consulate but were stopped and arrested by security personnel.
In New Delhi, hundreds of Tibetan exiles also held a parallel torch relay.
Carrying Tibetan flags and banners, they marched down the streets to protest against alleged Chinese repression in Tibet. They also voiced their opposition to India for playing host to the Beijing Olympics torch.
One of the protesters, Vinchen, said: "We want the Chinese government to stop the killings and genocide in Tibet. People in Tibet should get human rights."
"We want freedom; we want Beijing Olympics to be boycotted because Beijing is not worthy of Olympic Games," said Tenzin, another protester.
Anticipating the protests, the Indian government had deployed thousands of police to maintain security.
The protests forced India to trim the route to a third of the original 9-kilometre distance, restricting it to a high-security stretch used for the annual Republic Day parade in New Delhi.
India has been caught in a swirl of protests by Tibetan exiles since last month's unrest in Tibet.
And despite the Dalai Lama's support for the Beijing Games, the protesters have vowed to disrupt the flame's journey in New Delhi. However, the relay seems to have gone on as planned.
- CNA/so
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