Delhi CM invokes ‘Ram Rajya’, hails AAP’s governance record

In his speech, Kejriwal compared the initiatives taken by his government to the concept of “Ram Rajya”

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi has drawn inspiration from the “10 principles of Ram Rajya” for its rule, and said that the consecration ceremony held on January 22 at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya was “a matter of pride” for the country.

Arvind Kejriwal during the state level Republic Day celebration at Chhatrasal Stadium, Delhi, on Thursday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The chief minister was speaking at the state-level Republic Day celebration held at Chhatrasal Stadium near Model Town in north Delhi.

In a 35-minute-long speech, Kejriwal compared the initiatives taken by his government to the concept of “Ram Rajya”. He said that Ram Rajya is used to refer to a form of ideal governance.

“In Delhi, we are trying to run the government taking inspiration from the concept of Ram Rajya. We have gathered 10 principles from the definition as defined in Ramayana... If we walk on the path of Lord Ram, no power can stop India from becoming the number one nation,” Kejriwal said.

Ram Rajya refers to the rule of Lord Ram and is usually associated with virtuous rule, values, prosperity, and peace.

Kejriwal underscored the 10 principles of the AAP’s governance inspired by Ram Rajya — people should not be left hungry; equal and good education for all; access to free and good health care; 24-hour access to electricity; access to water supply; pilgrimage for the elderly through the Teerth Yatra scheme; citizens’ and women’s safety; employment for all; keeping inflation in check; and equal opportunities for all.

Referring to segments in Delhi administration which are not governed by the elected government — particularly law and order which rests with the Centre — Kejriwal said that though “law and order is not with the Delhi government, the administration is trying to work in sectors under its domains to improve security levels for women”.

“We have set up one of the largest CCTV camera networks and many crimes are being solved through footage from these cameras. We have more cameras than in New York, Paris, London and other cities. We are also trying to reduce dark spots on road stretches,” he added.

He claimed that in nine years, the AAP government has changed the face of welfare schemes in the Capital. “We have ensured that the poor have access to good education... parents are shifting their wards from private schools to government schools. Under the previous system, the children of poor people had access to suboptimal education in government schools,” he added.

He spoke similarly about the Delhi government’s health care system and said that people now prefer state government-run hospitals over private ones.

“Rich people would earlier visit private hospitals but the government has worked towards improving hospitals and opening Mohalla clinics... the 20KLD (kilo litres per day) free water scheme run by the government ensures access to drinking water for all. We have extended the water supply network but the middle class and poor people are getting free water. We are further extending the supply network,” he added.

He also announced that the government plans to take as many people as possible to Ayodhya under its Teerth Yatra scheme. “India should aim at becoming a $5 trillion economy but it should not help only a few people but all 140 crore Indians,” he added.

Divisions need to end

The chief minister remarked that the “country is presently divided in terms of caste and religion”.

“Lord Ram never discriminated on lines of caste and religion, but our society today is divided on those lines... We need inspiration from Ram’s life. A lot needs to be done to further these goals. We are not saying that the ideal situation has been achieved but we have taken steps in the right direction,” added Kejriwal.

He remarked that the biggest problem the country faces today is unemployment.

“Young people do not have access to employment... Our government is providing employment via schools, doorstep delivery schemes, and rozgar melas where nearly 1.2 million jobs were offered. We have encouraged entrepreneurship,” he added.

The celebration at Chhatrasal stadium, which lasted for over an hour, began with a parade inspection by the chief minister.

The parade was headed by Nithya Radhakrishanan and comprised contingents from the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services, Home Guards, National Cadet Corps, and National Service Scheme, among others.

The audience comprised students from Delhi government schools and the parade was followed by an award ceremony and cultural programmes.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that Kejriwal was “taking advantage of the atmosphere in the country” by building a narrative around the ceremony in Ayodhya.

“The Lok Sabha elections are coming which is why they (the Aam Aadmi Party) wish to project this image. In the past as well, the temple visits of AAP leaders have increased only around elections but they have failed to act against their own minister who made anti-Hindu remarks. Party leaders have advocated that a university must be built at the site of a temple but they have now changed their tunes,” said the secretary of the Delhi unit of the BJP, Harish Khurana.