Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launches ‘Make India No. 1’ mission; prime focus on free education, healthcare

In the midst of the freebie debate in Indian politics, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has announced a nationwide mission, with the main aim of providing free education and healthcare to all. This comes just as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday launched a national mission to make India the number one country in the world and called on all citizens and political parties to join it.

Providing free education and healthcare to citizens, employment to youths, equal rights, and dignity to women, and fair price to farmers for their products are needed to achieve the goal, he said.

भारत को दुनिया का सबसे मज़बूत देश बनाना हमारा मिशन है। आइए मिलकर भारत को नम्बर-1 बनाते हैं। LIVE https://t.co/A4edNTYiYV

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 17, 2022

Kejriwal said he will travel across the country as part of the mission -- 'Make India No. 1' -- to encourage people to join the initiative and achieve its objectives. He said the mission is apolitical in nature.

"This is not the mission of a political party, it's a national mission. I call upon the BJP and all other parties to come forward and join this initiative to make India the number one country in the world," the chief minister said.

“Many countries like Singapore got independence after India but are ahead of us. Why is India lagging behind despite Indians being the "most intelligent and hard-working in the world", Kejriwal asked.

This comes in the backdrop of the freebie culture debate in India, where the BJP has been slamming the opposition parties for offering free commodities to citizens in order to sway their votes in the elections.

Defending offering certain services for free, the Delhi CM had said, “We have improved the infrastructure at government hospitals and set up mohalla clinics. Everyone has access to free healthcare in Delhi. Providing good healthcare to people is not free ki revdi.”

Arvind Kejriwal, during his Independence Day speech, talked about how proving free education can realize the “poor man’s dream of becoming a lawyer or engineer.”

(With PTI inputs)

READ | Revolt in Jammu and Kashmir Congress? After Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation, 2 more leaders follow