Free education, healthcare are not freebies: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asserted that free education and healthcare are not freebies and said if people are given access to them, India can become the top country in the world. Kejriwal was speaking at the Delhi government's Independence Day event at Chhatrasal Stadium here. Asserting that the future belongs to India, he said the country's 130 crore people need 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. Lamenting the fact that many nations that got independence after India surpassed it, he reiterated that education and healthcare are key to becoming a rich country.

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"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. Paying homage to all freedom fighters and those who struggled for the growth and progress of the country, he noted it is time to celebrate progress in various fields. "But 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. He concluded his address by singing 'Hum Honge Kamyaab'.