New Delhi: After vocally opposing PM Narendra Modi's "muft ki revdi" jibe, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asserted that free education and healthcare are not freebies.
Speaking at the Delhi government's Independence Day event at Chhatrasal Stadium, CM Kejriwal asserted that if people are given access to free education and healthcare, India can become the top country in the world.
"The tricolour will fly high only when every Indian has access to good healthcare and education. Congratulations to all on 75 years of independence. There is great joy and enthusiasm in the country. The air is filled with patriotism and 'junoon'," he said at the event, as quoted by news agency PTI.
In his speech, CM Arvind Kejriwal emphasised that the future belongs to India and called for the country's population of 130 crore people to come together and resolve to make India the number one country in the world.
"We came together and sent the Britishers out. Today, if we come together, we can make India the top country in the world," he said.
Paying homage to all freedom fighters and those who struggled for the growth and progress of India, the Chief Minister noted that it is time to celebrate the nation's progress in various fields.
However, he also lamented the fact that many nations that got independence after India surpassed its development and reiterated that education and healthcare are key to becoming a rich country.
"We need to think over challenges and our future course. Many are asking why many countries got past (us) in 75 years. Singapore that got independence 15 years after India and Japan that was destroyed in the Second World War got ahead of us. We are no less than others. Indians are the most intelligent, hardworking people in the world but still, we have lagged," he added.
According to PTI, CM Kejriwal said: "If we provide good education to our children, poverty can be eradicated in one generation."
Pointing to his government's achievements, CM Kejriwal said that everyone has access to free healthcare in the national capital. Providing good healthcare to people is not 'free ki revdi', he said.
The Chief Minister concluded his address by singing 'Hum Honge Kamyaab'.
Recently, Prime Minister Modi stirred a debate as he criticised some political parties for offering "muft ki revdi" for electoral gains. The comment was in reference to freebies as poll promises ahead of elections. This is very harmful to the country's development, he had said.