CM Arvind Kejriwal hoists 500th tricolour installed by his govt

PTI, Aug 9, 2022, 1:19 PM IST

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday hoisted the 500th national flag installed by his government, and said everybody should take a pledge to make India the number one country in the world. He said many countries that got independence after India have ”surpassed us”.

”We have everything. We have the most intelligent people in the world and the most hardworking people but we have lagged behind,” he said, once again denouncing those calling government’s welfare scheme as ”freebies”. ”It pains me to hear some people saying free education should be stopped. They are calling it a freebie saying that poor should not get free education in government schools. I don’t understand the term freebie or free ‘revadi’. If government schools are closed, nearly 70 to 80 per cent children will remain illiterate,” he said.

Good education, healthcare and employment should be considered fundamental rights, and not called freebies, he said. At the flag hoisting ceremony at Mayur Vihar, he began his address with chants of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad and Vande Mataram.

”A year back, we had decided we will install so many tricolours in Delhi that whenever a Delhiite steps out, he sees at least one flag around him. We are ensuring that people see the tricolour three to four times during the day,” he said, adding his government has installed 500 national flags across the national capital now.

His Deputy Manish Sisodia thanked the engineers and contractors who helped in realising the dream of installing 500 national flags across Delhi.