Kejriwal holds ‘School-Hospital rally’ in Gurugram
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that Aam Aadmi Party was the first political party in the history of independent India to hold a public meeting on the twin issues of schools and hospitals, adding that no outfit had ever raised these issues from a political platform over the past seven decades.Addressing the gathering at Gaushala Ground here, Mr. Kejriwal said the political parties hold “Hunkar rally”, “Parivartan Rally” and “Vikas Rally”, but AAP was the first party to hold “School-Hospital Rally”, adding that the people sitting in the sun for several hours showed that they wanted change in Haryana, having tried and been duped by all other political parties.He said the private schools in Haryana were charging exorbitant fee and similar was the situation in Delhi when he took over as Chief Minister, but he did not allow these institutions to increase the fee over the past three years. “We conducted the audit of the private schools in Delhi and made them return the overcharged fee for the past ten years. The families were pleasantly surprised to receive the cheques a decade after their wards had passed out,” said Mr. Kejriwal, adding that his party would improve the condition of the schools in Haryana as well in the event of coming to power.Mr. Kejiriwal also touched upon the issue of government hospitals and Mohalla Clinics in Delhi and invited the people of Haryana to come over and see the change for themselves. “We are offering all kinds of treatment in government hospitals free of cost for the rich and the poor,” he said, adding that “the chest of Delhiites had swelled with pride” and sought to know as to why the current Bharatiya Janata Party government and the previous governments of Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal had failed to bring about this change. “All parties previously indulged in corruption,” he alleged.Saying that his government gave ₹1 crore each to the martyrs, Mr. Kejriwal, in a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “56-inch chest” remark, said he had not kept his promise before the 2104 general elections “to bring heads of ten Pakistani soldiers for every head of Indian soldier cut by them”.The Chief Minister also raised the issue of recent chilli powder attack on him and alleged that it seemed to be a conspiracy by the Union government responsible for his security. “I have been attacked four times in two years. It never happened to any Chief Minister. Since my security is the responsibility of the Union government, I sometimes feel as if they are behind this,” said Mr. Kejriwal.